Narativ Leadership Story Talks

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Values, Story Discovery & Finding the Treasures Already Around You

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0600

“The best stories already exist in the room. It’s our responsibility to help people excavate them and appreciate them.”

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Brad Farris and the powerful link between values and storytelling. Brad’s insight sparks a broader discussion about why organizational values often remain abstract—printed on walls, mentioned during onboarding, but rarely translated into everyday behavior.

What begins as a reflection on leadership and agency culture quickly becomes a deeper exploration of where meaningful stories actually come from. Jerome and Julienne remind listeners that the most powerful stories are rarely invented—they are already present in everyday experiences, waiting to be noticed, named, and shared.

The conversation also highlights how values can serve as a starting point for discovering stories—both for organizations trying to live their culture and for individuals trying to articulate who they are and what they stand for.

You’ll Hear:

– Values Come Alive Through Stories – Why company values only become meaningful when people share real moments that demonstrate them in action.
– The Stories Already in the Room – How the most powerful examples of culture often come from everyday actions that organizations tend to overlook.
– Finding Stories Through Values – A practical way to uncover meaningful stories by reflecting on moments that brought joy, tension, or strong reactions at work.
– Starting Points Matter – Why prompts, themes, and constraints help people move past the intimidating “blank page” and begin telling their stories.
– Notice the Hidden Treasures – An invitation to capture story ideas whenever they appear—during a meeting, a commute, or even at 3 a.m.—before they disappear.

Let this debrief be a reminder: the stories that define your leadership, your culture, or your values are probably already happening around you—you just have to notice them, write them down, and begin telling them.

Narativ’s online course in partnership with New Mexico State University Global Campus:
Lead With Your Story (self-paced, on-demand course)
Podcast listeners get 25% off - Use code NARATIV → Register Here

Learn more about how to leverage Narativ’s storytelling method for your pitch and sales team: Download our free e-book, or you’re welcome to schedule a free 15-minute call with Jerome.

Please join our mailing list to stay updated on all our latest episodes and events.

EMAIL Jerome@narativ.com
LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/company/narativ-inc
TWITTER @narativ

Buy Julienne’s book here

Leadership Story Talks | Sequoia, Not Bonsai: Aligning Growth, Culture, and Customer Value with Nicolas Darveau-Garneau

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0700

“You’ve never shrunk to greatness.”
- Nicolas Darveau-Garneau

Overview
In this episode, Jerome and Julienne sit down with Nicolas Darveau-Garneau — former Google Chief Evangelist, growth strategist, and author of Sequoia, Not Bonsai: The Seven Growth Secrets of the World’s Most Successful Companies.

Drawing on his experience advising more than 1,000 CEOs and CMOs, Nick shares what truly differentiates the top 5% of companies. The answer isn’t complexity — it’s alignment. Alignment between strategy and execution. Alignment between customer value and internal KPIs. Alignment between culture, experimentation, and long-term profitability.

This conversation explores why profitable growth requires openness, disciplined testing, and leadership that paints a compelling future — especially in the age of AI.

You’ll Hear
• How openness to new ideas — across cultures and generations — shapes strong leadership

• The three themes most CEOs lose sleep over: customer delight, profitability, and brand — and why execution often doesn’t align with those goals

• Why fewer than 5% of companies truly understand customer lifetime value — and how that transforms growth

• The difference between “Sequoia” companies that pursue long-term profitable growth and “Bonsai” companies that over-optimize for short-term perfection

• Why the speed and volume of testing may become the only sustainable competitive advantage in the age of AI

• Practical advice for AI transformation: start small, reduce fear, paint a growth vision, and create clear career pathways for employees

Resources
• Sequoia, Not Bonsai: The Seven Growth Secrets of the World’s Most Successful Companies by Nicolas Darveau-Garneau (HarperCollins Leadership) - More info here.

• Learn more about Nicolas’ work in AI, growth strategy, and executive education

Connect with Nicolas here

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discus What Happens When You Go Live

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0700

“This happened to me. So there’s no way I can get it wrong.”

In this special episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on what it’s really like to step onto a live stage — in two different cities, on the same night — without planning it together.

From a Duke City Story Slam in New Mexico to a Moth event in New York City, both hosts independently chose to put themselves in front of a live audience just days before launching their own Leadership Story Talks LIVE event. What followed was a powerful reminder of why we practice what we teach: structure creates safety, breathing creates connection, and showing up matters.

This episode explores what presenting live teaches us about leadership, community, and the courage to own your story.

You’ll Hear:

• Why creating guidelines and structure makes live storytelling safer and more powerful

• How pushing yourself to show up builds confidence and credibility
• The difference between virtual presentation and feeling a room breathe, laugh, and clap in real time

• Simple grounding tools before speaking

• Why you can’t “get it wrong” when you’re telling your own lived experience

• How community storytelling combats loneliness and creates genuine connection Resources:

REGISTER HERE for the next Leadership Story Talks LIVE! Stories That Shaped Us on March 19:

If you’re preparing for a keynote, a team meeting, a pitch, or simply want to own your story with more confidence — we’re here to help.

Leadership Story Talks | Sustaining Coaching, Storytelling, and the Power of Listening

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode of Leadership Story Talks, Jerome and Julienne reflect on a powerful idea shared by executive coach Greg Smith: real growth doesn’t come from a single coaching moment—it comes from changing how we listen, lead, and respond to challenges over time.

The conversation explores a common tension leaders face: how to sustain the impact of coaching once the “bubble” of one-on-one support disappears and real-world pressures return.

You'll hear:
- Coaching shouldn’t be something you “finish.”
Jerome and Julienne unpack the idea that coaching isn’t a checkbox or a temporary intervention. For growth to last, leaders and organizations must invest in structures that support continued practice, reflection, and accountability—long after formal coaching ends.

- Listening is the foundation of effective storytelling.
A recurring theme in the episode is that leaders often feel pressure to perform—to have the right message, the right vision, the right story. But sustainable leadership begins with listening first. When leaders truly hear their teams’ experiences, the right stories emerge naturally.

- Practice creates confidence—and sustainability.
Jerome shares an example of a leader who entered coaching wanting to become a better storyteller, only to realize that listening more deeply was the real shift. Through repeated practice during coaching, that leader built confidence and eventually internalized a new leadership habit that continued long after coaching ended.

- From “what’s happening to me” to “what do I get to do.”
The debrief highlights a mindset shift at the heart of Greg Smith’s message: challenges will come regardless. The question is whether leaders meet them from a place of curiosity and agency—or from a sense of victimhood.

- Organizations play a role, too.
Julienne emphasizes that sustainability isn’t solely the responsibility of the individual being coached. Organizations must stay engaged, hold themselves accountable, and create environments where learning is reinforced—not abandoned once a program concludes.

Why This Matters:
Sustainable leadership isn’t about one great story, one inspiring speech, or one coaching engagement. It’s about building listening muscles, creating shared accountability, and allowing learning to become part of how leaders show up every day.

As Jerome notes, when leadership behaviors truly “get into your bones,” they stop being techniques—and start becoming who you are.

Leadership Story Talks | Reflections on Listening, Kindness, and Collective Spirit

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In this special Valentine’s Day reflection, Jerome and Julienne step away from frameworks and techniques to explore a living example of leadership through presence, listening, and love.

Inspired by the journey of Buddhist monks walking from Texas to Washington, DC, the episode invites listeners to reconsider what it means to show up for others—quietly, intentionally, and without agenda. As communities gather along the monks’ path, the conversation reflects on listening as an act of love and on the power of collective humanity, especially in times of division and conflict.

You'll hear:

• Why the monks’ journey resonates so deeply right now

• Listening as a practice—not a skill, but a way of being
• What leadership can look like when presence replaces performance
• How Valentine’s Day might be reclaimed as a broader expression of kindness and care
• The quiet power of collective action grounded in intention rather than spectacle.

Resources

• Buddhist Monks’ Walking Journey (Video)
A short video highlighting the monks’ walk from Texas to Washington, DC and the communities gathering along the way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkCCGjskeFI

Leadership Story Talks | The Stories We Choose to Tell with Jim O'Gorman

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with Jim O’Gorman to explore how formative leadership experiences—both painful and inspiring—shape the way we show up for others at work.

Jim opens with a candid story from early in his career: working for a deeply toxic boss and the toll it took on his confidence, health, and sense of self. That experience became a defining catalyst, ultimately guiding him toward a career dedicated to people strategy, trust, and humane leadership.

From there, the conversation moves into Jim’s time on the Obama campaign, where he witnessed firsthand the power of authentic storytelling—not as persuasion, but as connection. That experience continues to influence how he thinks about leadership, values, and culture today.

As Chief People Officer at Included Health, Jim shares how storytelling, vulnerability, and values-based decision-making aren’t “nice to haves,” but core leadership competencies—especially when trust, safety, and belonging are on the line. He also offers a thoughtful perspective on remote work, arguing that there is no universal answer—only alignment between values, mission, and how work actually gets done.

This episode is a grounded, practical exploration of what it really means to lead with authenticity—and why stories remain one of the most powerful tools leaders have to create trust, navigate complexity, and raise the standard for how people experience work.

You’ll Hear:

Why a “terrible boss” can become a powerful leadership teacher
How authentic storytelling builds trust, safety, and belonging on teams
What Jim learned about leadership and connection on the Obama campaign
Why values—not perks—are what truly retain people
How Included Health aligns mission, culture, and people strategy
A clear-eyed take on remote work, trust, and intentional connection
Why leaders must go first when it comes to vulnerability and honesty
How storytelling can restore healthier debate and discourse at work

Resources & Links

Connect with Jim O’Gorman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-o-gorman-0b32278/
Learn more about Included Health: https://includedhealth.com/
Explore more episodes and resources at: https://narativ.com/podcast

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss the Live Stream

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In this Leadership Story Talks debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on what they learned from their very first Leadership Story Talks LIVE.

What begins as a conversation about a technical glitch quickly becomes a deeper exploration of trust, vulnerability, leadership, and what it really means to “show up” when things don’t go according to plan. A brief moment of on-air chaos—barely two minutes in real time—felt enormous in the moment, yet invisible to much of the audience. That contrast becomes a powerful lesson in perception, presence, and resilience.

Rather than stopping the show or striving for perfection, Jerome and Julienne chose to move forward—relying on preparation, partnership, and mutual trust. Listening first, staying human, and allowing imperfection to become part of the story.

This moment of vulnerability unexpectedly created safety for the storytellers themselves. When something went “wrong,” it gave everyone else permission to relax, let go of scripts, and trust their own voices.

You’ll Hear:

What "Live" Really Means — Julienne shares the internal experience of being suddenly alone on screen, and how slowing down, grounding herself, and trusting the process made all the difference.
Two Minutes That Felt Like Forever — Jerome reflects on how time distorts under stress, and how rewatching the episode revealed how little the audience actually perceived.
Trust as a Leadership Decision — A pivotal moment where Jerome chooses not to stop the livestream, but instead trusts Julienne to carry the moment—illustrating what real leadership looks like under pressure.
Preparation vs. Perfection — Why deep preparation allows for flexibility, presence, and grace when plans inevitably fall apart.
What Imperfection Makes Possible — How the glitch reassured storytellers that they didn’t need to be flawless to be powerful—and that being real matters more than being polished.
The Power of Not Explaining Everything — A reflection on how a personal story can communicate trust, credibility, and professional identity without spelling it out.
“You’re Not Alone” — A reminder that while telling a story can feel solitary, the right listening space ensures no one carries it alone.

This debrief is a living example of the core belief behind Leadership Story Talks: meaningful connection doesn’t come from getting it right—it comes from staying present when things go wrong. When leaders model trust, vulnerability, and responsiveness in real time, they don’t lose credibility. They build it.

Leadership Story Talks | Special Guest Live Streamed Event - Stories That Shaped Us

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan introduce a new, recurring format: Leadership Story Talks LIVE! — a bi-monthly, interactive storytelling experience designed to bring listening and telling into the same virtual space.

This live gathering centers on short, true stories told by experienced leaders and practitioners, followed by reflection and shared insight. As Jerome and Julienne note, storytelling isn’t about performance — it’s about presence. And listening is what allows meaning to emerge.

The invitation was simple: Tell us a story about an experience that shaped who you are today.

What followed were three distinct stories that revealed how leadership is formed not through theory, but through lived experience.

Cecilia Loving shares a childhood memory from the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, recalling the reactions of the adults around her — their fear, grief, and silence. Her story offers a glimpse into how historic moments are absorbed at a young age and continue to shape how we understand safety, belonging, and the world around us long after the moment has passed.

Lisa Hope Tilstra reflects on losing her husband to a brain tumor more than twenty years ago, and how that experience continues to shape her relationship to time, difficulty, and meaning. Rather than framing loss as something left behind, her story reveals how formative experiences travel with us, quietly influencing how we choose, lead, and live.

Charles Bernard tells a story about discovering a capacity within himself that he couldn’t yet see — a moment when a creative spark revealed potential that had been hidden from view. His story speaks to how growth often begins before we can name it, and how being invited into creativity can open entirely new ways of seeing what’s possible.

As Jerome and Julienne reflect with the storytellers, a shared understanding emerges: moments don’t end when they’re over. Meaning unfolds over time. And leadership is often shaped long before we have language for it.

Resources

Cecilia Loving
Managing Principal, Loving Factor LLC
Organizational Leadership | Rooted in Culture, Compassion & Belonging
Author of The Power of Inclusion and Connecting Through Circles

Charles Bernard
Sales Improvement Expert, Keynote Speaker, Founder

Websites: Criteria For Success & Collavia

Lisa Hope Tilstra
Leadership Coach & Host of the Make Life Less Difficult Podcast

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss When the Story No Longer Serves Us

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on a powerful insight sparked by a conversation with Lata Hamilton: sometimes the problem isn’t you—it’s the environment you’re in. Recognize that truth takes courage, honesty, and listening.
Lata’s story becomes a springboard for a wider conversation about energy, fit, and the quiet signals that tell us when a story we’ve been living no longer serves us. Jerome and Julienne explore what happens when capable, vibrant people begin to shrink—not because they lack skill or value, but because they’re trying to survive in spaces that slowly diminish them.

Look for moments of transition: when you sense you are in the middle of a new chapter but can’t yet see the end. Uncertainty often creates fear, hesitation, and self-doubt—especially when the future feels blurry or hard to imagine.

Jerome and Julienne emphasize the importance of listening: listening to trusted guides, to one’s own internal signals, and to the stories emerging beneath the noise of fear, judgment, and expectation. From that listening, new possibilities begin to take shape.
You’ll Hear:
- Is It You—or the Environment? — Julienne reflects on how often talented people internalize struggle, rather than questioning whether the system around them is draining their energy.
- Energy as a Signal — A discussion about noticing what gives you energy and what takes it away—and why that awareness is often the first clue that change is needed.
- Being in the Middle of the Story — Jerome explores why moments of transition feel so destabilizing, and how not being able to “see the future” keeps people stuck.
- Telling the Future as If It’s Already Happened — A practical storytelling insight into how imagining and articulating a desired future can help people regain clarity and agency.
- Beyond Skills and Résumés — Julienne shares why foundational story work—values, purpose, and core gifts—matters more than listing credentials, especially during career pivots.
- Listening as the Work — Jerome emphasizes creating space to vent, name fears, and surface internal obstacles—so deeper, more honest stories can emerge.
- Changing My World, Not the Whole World — A grounding reminder that meaningful impact often begins with what we can shape, control, and influence right now.

Here's a reminder that growth doesn’t always come from pushing harder—it often comes from listening more deeply. When people are supported in hearing themselves clearly, they don’t just find their next move—they reconnect with the story that gives them energy, purpose, and direction.

Leadership Story Talks | Leading Beyond Control — Identity, Trust, and Letting Go with Brad Farris

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan are joined by leadership coach and advisor Brad Farris, who works with creative service firm founders whose businesses have outgrown the way they’re leading.

Brad shares a defining leadership experience from early in his career—stepping into a general manager role and realizing that “acting like a leader” often means pretending to have answers you don’t yet have.

You’ll Hear:
- The Cost of “Faking It” — Brad reflects on how early leadership roles can condition leaders to perform certainty, and how that pattern quietly reinforces impostor syndrome and isolation.

- From Expert to Coach — Years of consulting taught Brad that leadership isn’t about asking better questions and standing on the side of possibility.

- When Being “Nice” Gets in the Way — A powerful story about a founder who equated kindness with avoiding hard conversations—and how clarity, not comfort, ultimately created trust and success.

- The Growth Ceiling Around $1–2M — Why many founder-led firms stall when control, hustle, and identity collide—and what it really takes to move from doing the work to leading the system.

- Delegation vs. Abdication — How letting go without redefining your role sets teams up to fail—and keeps leaders stuck in a heroic rescue loop.

- Identity as the Hidden Constraint — Jerome and Brad explore how leaders’ attachment to who they’ve been can block who they need to become next.

- Values as Decision-Making Infrastructure — Why clearly articulated values allow leaders to step back without losing quality, culture, or trust.

- The Engineer’s Mindset — Brad explains how engineering training—breaking systems down, depersonalizing failure, and diagnosing what’s working—can be a powerful leadership advantage.

- Self-Leadership Comes First — Brad closes with a reflection on leading yourself before leading others, and offers a free self-leadership assessment to help leaders identify where growth is needed.

Resources & Contact Information ~ Brad Farris
Leadership Coach & Advisor for Founder-Led Businesses

Additional Resource

Self-Leadership Assessment: Available via Brad’s website (free, no email required)

Leadership Story Talks | Special Episode: Community, Curiosity, and Carrying Stories into the New Year

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this end-of-year special episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan pause to reflect on the year behind them—and the deeper themes that have emerged through hundreds of conversations, stories, and moments of listening.

Rather than focusing on achievements or milestones, the conversation centers on something more enduring: connection, community, and curiosity. As the calendar turns toward 2026, Jerome and Julienne offer a thoughtful reminder that storytelling isn’t just about being heard—it’s about taking the time to truly listen.

You’ll Hear:

How Much We Have in Common — Julienne reflects on how every podcast conversation reveals shared experiences and lessons, often hidden until someone takes the time to listen for context.
Community as an Antidote to Isolation — Jerome speaks to the growing sense of loneliness and division many people are experiencing, and why reaching out—to friends, family, or people you haven’t spoken to in a while—matters more than ever.
Listening as a Leadership Practice — Both hosts emphasize the simple but powerful act of listening without rushing to respond, and how dialogue—not monologue—is where connection lives.
The Ripple Effect of Words — Julienne shares a reminder that the impact of listening and kindness often isn’t visible in the moment, but can quietly become the most meaningful part of someone’s day.
Being Seen, Heard, and Respected — A reflection on why these basic human needs are among the greatest gifts we can offer one another, especially during moments of transition and uncertainty.
Curiosity as a Way of Life — Jerome looks back on the wide range of guests featured this year—from sports to law and beyond—and how curiosity and openness have led to unexpected discoveries.
What’s Ahead in 2026 — A glimpse into the future of Leadership Story Talks, including upcoming community-focused storytelling events and new ways for listeners to engage with one another.

This episode is both a holiday message and an invitation: to slow down, to listen more deeply, and to stay curious about the people around you. As Jerome and Julienne remind us, you don’t need a podcast to build connection—just a willingness to reach out and be present.

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss What AI Gets Right — and What It Can’t Replace

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode of Leadership Story Talks, Jerome and Julienne reflect on a striking insight from Gabrielle Dolan, author of Story Intelligence: when people compared AI-generated stories with human ones, they consistently found the AI stories technically strong—but noticeably lacking something essential. What was missing wasn’t structure or clarity, but the feeling that the story was real.

That observation becomes the foundation for a deeper conversation about authenticity, instinct, and why human presence still matters—even as AI becomes more capable and more accessible.

Jerome and Julienne explore how audiences intuitively sense when a story is disconnected from lived experience, and why that subtle gap often determines whether a message lands or falls flat.

You’ll Hear:

Why We Instinctively Sense What’s Missing — Julienne reflects on our deeply human ability to detect when something lacks real emotional presence, and how that instinct shapes trust and connection.
The Risk of Letting Tools Speak for You — Jerome explains why outsourcing your story—whether to AI, slides, or templates—can result in something accurate but incomplete, where your true voice never fully shows up.
From Death by PowerPoint to Déjà Vu by AI — A timely comparison between early excitement around presentation tools and today’s enthusiasm for AI, and how over-reliance can quietly erase the human thread.
AI as Support, Not Substitute — Building on Gabrielle Dolan’s perspective, the hosts emphasize using AI as a collaborator or sounding board—not the storyteller itself.
Where Authenticity Lives in the Body — Julienne shares a vivid leadership observation: how people physically change when they speak from something that truly matters to them—and why that energy can’t be manufactured.
Why Even Polished Messages Can Fall Flat — Jerome reflects on why rehearsal and preparation aren’t enough if personal experience is missing, and how small moments of lived truth make ideas memorable.

This debrief is a reminder that while storytelling tools evolve, the core of storytelling does not. Audiences don’t connect to perfection—they connect to presence. And no matter how advanced the technology, the story still needs a human at the center.

Leadership Story Talks | Special Episode: Lessons from the Storytelling Symposium

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this special edition of Leadership Story Talks, Jerome and Julienne look back on their experience presenting at the international Storytelling Symposium organized by Dr. Anja Timmermann—a gathering of scientists, researchers, and practitioners exploring the role of narrative in making complex work more human and accessible.

What begins as a simple recap unfolds into a rich reflection on risk-taking, preparation, authenticity, and the challenge of storytelling in virtual spaces—especially when you cannot see the audience at all. Julienne shares the vulnerability of telling a deeply personal childhood story to a global, largely unseen crowd, and the surprising lessons that emerged from stepping into the “void” of Zoom with nothing but her voice, intentions, and commitment to authenticity.

Jerome and Julienne explore how simple, relatable stories can bridge cultural and disciplinary divides, how to prepare for moments you can’t fully control, and why trusting your instincts matters more than perfecting a script.

You’ll Hear:

Bravery in the Blind Spot — What it takes to tell a personal story without audience cues, facial reactions, or feedback—and why doing it anyway builds confidence and connection.
Simplicity as a Bridge — How everyday stories—neighbors, childhood moments, familiar characters—create common ground across cultures, professions, and languages.
Practice Without Performing — The value of rehearsing for flow, not perfection, and testing your story with a trusted listener before going live.
Expect the Unexpected — A surprise microphone failure during the recording becomes a real-time lesson in adaptability, honesty, and embracing imperfection.
Why Stories Make Moments Memorable — Jerome reflects on why personal narrative transforms panels from forgettable to meaningful—and why leaders should always take the leap when a story fits the moment.

This episode is both a behind-the-scenes look at a global storytelling event and a reminder of what authentic communication requires: courage, presence, simplicity, and a willingness to connect—even when you can’t see who’s listening.

Resources: ~

Storytelling Symposium Website & Video Library:

LISTEN to Anja Timmerman on Leadership Story Talks HERE

Leadership Story Talks | Why Executive Coaching is a Strategic Imperative with Greg Smith

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Greg Smith—General Manager of FranklinCovey’s Executive Coaching practice and a leader with more than 25 years of experience developing executives across global organizations. Greg has supported leaders at Walmart, Deloitte, Starbucks, FedEx, Disney, and today his practice delivers an extraordinary 97% coaching success rate.

Greg shares a moment early in his career: a CEO’s deceptively simple piece of advice—“If you want to fly like the eagles, hang out with the eagles.” What made it powerful wasn’t the phrase itself, but who said it and the way it awakened Greg’s belief in aligning himself with excellence. That shift in mindset still shapes how he approaches leadership development today.

Greg breaks down why executive coaching is no longer a perk but a strategic imperative— defined by rapid change, restructuring, and rising complexity. He walks through FranklinCovey’s four-phase coaching methodology, shares an example of a leader whose newfound courage saved the company $20 million in one meeting, and why human connection, empathy, and trust remain irreplaceable even as AI becomes more deeply integrated into leadership work.

You’ll Hear:

“Fly With the Eagles” – One comment from a founder shifted Greg’s trajectory by redefining what—and who—he aligned himself with.
Coaching as a Strategic Lever – Why organizations facing disruption increasingly rely on coaching to accelerate capability and navigate complexity.
The 4-Phase Methodology – Alignment, data-driven insight, focused coaching, and sustainable transition.
Courage in Practice – How a single leadership intervention, rooted in new skills, averted a multimillion-dollar loss.
Human Leadership in an AI Era – Why the future belongs to leaders who cultivate empathy, curiosity, trust, and adaptability.
Preparing for What’s Next – How CEOs, COOs, CHROs, and talent teams can rethink development to meet tomorrow’s challenges.

Greg’s insights offer a clear, actionable roadmap for strengthening leadership in times of uncertainty—and for keeping humanity at the center of growth.

Resources

Coaching | FranklinCovey

LinkedIn — Greg Smith

Forbes Coaches Council — Greg Smith

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Stereotypes & the Power of Precision

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Dr. Anja Timmerman—an exchange that reminded them how a single, small human moment can reshape how we see a place, a culture, or a community. Anja’s story about arriving in New York for the first time becomes a doorway into her passion for community-building and the global storytelling symposium she now leads.

What starts as a reflection on kindness from strangers becomes an exploration of how personal stories disrupt stereotypes, soften assumptions, and open the door to deeper understanding between people who might never otherwise connect.

Jerome and Julienne also tie this conversation back to the foundation of Narativ’s method: the more specific and precise the story, the more power it has to challenge generalizations and bring people closer together.

You’ll Hear:
– Small Moments, Big Impact – How one brief, unexpected act of kindness can transform someone’s sense of belonging in a new place.

– Stories Break Stereotypes – Why sharing concrete, local stories helps dismantle limiting narratives about cities, cultures, and the people who live in them.

– Specificity Over Generalization – How naming this person, this gesture, and this moment invites empathy and keeps assumptions at bay.

– Experience as Offering – A gentler way to share perspectives: “This is how I experienced this person,” rather than “People from here are like this.”

– Your Story as Connection – An invitation to listeners to learn how to tell their own stories with precision, clarity, and intention—especially when advocating for what matters.

Let this debrief inspire you to notice the local moments, tell the small stories, and use them to build bridges where stereotypes once stood.

LISTEN to Anja's full Leadership Story Talks episode HERE

Leadership Story Talks | Earning Your Worth, Leading Change & Finding Your Fit with Lata Hamilton

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Lata Hamilton—change leadership expert, confidence mentor, and author of Pioneer Your Career Change. After tripling her salary in just three years and helping organizations lead transformations affecting more than 100,000 people, Lata has made it her mission to empower women to carve their own career paths with courage, clarity, and authenticity.

Lata shares the surprising corridor conversation that launched her into change management—a moment that felt small to someone else but reshaped her entire career. She also revisits an early piece of feedback that she was “too authentic,” and the years-long journey of shrinking, questioning, and ultimately redefining what authenticity means in leadership.

You’ll Hear:

When One Comment Changes Everything – How a casual suggestion opened the door to Lata’s ideal career
lata-julienne-jerome (1)
“Too Authentic”? – How early career feedback dimmed her confidence—and what it took to reclaim it
lata-julienne-jerome (1)
Leading Change with Humanity – Why resistance is rarely the real issue, and how to uncover the beliefs and fears underneath it
Bridging the Change Gap – How involving people early in designing new roles, capabilities, and ways of working reduces burnout and builds trust
Your Career as a Launch Pad – Why rethinking loyalty and embracing possibility can unlock an entirely new future

This conversation offers a refreshingly human, practical roadmap for stepping into your power—without shrinking, apologizing, or compromising who you are.

Download: Underpaid & Overlooked Coaching Action Guide
Download: Creative Launch Ideas Guide
Book: Pioneer Your Career Change
Website & Programs
Socials
LinkedIn
Instagram — @latahamilton
Insight Timer
Facebook
YouTube

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Identity, Change & The Story You Tell Now

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Dr. LaNysha Adams and her powerful reminder that identity isn’t fixed—it’s chosen. Drawing on her insights, they explore why “bringing your whole self to work” isn’t about dragging every version of yourself into every room, but about being intentional, adaptable, and honest about who you need to be right now.

What begins as a discussion about roles—parent, leader, teammate, creator—quickly becomes a broader reflection on navigating uncertainty, evolving past outdated labels, and telling the story that actually serves you in this moment of change.

Jerome and Julienne connect these ideas to the heart of Narativ’s work: asking “What’s the story that needs to be told now?” and supporting people as they uncover it, reshape it, or bravely speak it out loud for the first time.

You’ll Hear:

– Identity Is Dynamic – Why the labels you’ve carried—professionally or personally—don’t define who you are today or who you can become.
– Choosing Who You Are Now – How to adapt your sense of self in moments of transition without losing sight of your strengths, talents, or core values.
– The Story You Tell Today – A reminder to re-evaluate whether the story you’ve been telling still fits, or if a new one is ready to emerge.
– From Overwhelm to Agency – How storytelling becomes a grounding practice during turbulent times, helping you reclaim clarity, confidence, and direction.
– Self-Appreciation as Wellness – Why reflecting on your own experiences—like stepping back in an art gallery—can restore perspective and resilience during change.

Let this debrief be a nudge to pause and ask yourself: Who am I now, and what story do I need to tell next?

Leadership Story Talks | Story Intelligence with Gabrielle Dolan

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Gabrielle Dolan—one of the world’s leading authorities on business storytelling, keynote speaker, and author of nine books including her newest release, Story Intelligence: The Craft of Authentic Storytelling Made Smarter with AI.

Gabrielle shares the pivotal “sliding door” moment that transformed her career—from a 17-year tenure at National Australia Bank to launching her own storytelling practice long before it became a buzzword. Through humor and insight, she reflects on two decades of helping leaders move from folded arms to open minds when it comes to storytelling—and how AI is reshaping that conversation today.

In Story Intelligence, Gabrielle explores how we can harness AI as a creative collaborator without losing the human heart of storytelling. She shares an experiment comparing AI-generated stories to human ones, revealing that while AI delivers clarity, it lacks authenticity—the emotional resonance that connects people.

You’ll Hear:

The Power of Rejection – How a missed promotion became the spark that launched a global storytelling career

From Trend to Transformation – What’s changed in 20 years of helping leaders tell stories that stick

When AI “Almost” Gets It Right – What Gabrielle learned from testing human vs. AI-generated stories

Authenticity as the X-Factor – Why audiences can sense when a story isn’t truly lived or felt

Story Intelligence Defined – A new framework for using authentic stories to connect, engage, and inspire

Whether you’re a leader curious about how to balance technology with truth, or a communicator looking to tell more human stories in a digital age, this conversation reminds us that the future of storytelling isn’t artificial—it’s deeply, powerfully human.

Resources

Website: gabrielledolan.com

Free Storytelling Starter Kit: gabrielledolan.com/starterkit

Books: gabrielledolan.com/books

LinkedIn: Gabrielle Dolan

Instagram: @gabrielledolan.1

YouTube: Gabrielle Dolan Consulting

Podcast: Keeping

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Preparation, Precision, and the Power of Time

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0700

"Be ready to be ready." — Jen Mueller

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne unpack lessons from Jen Mueller’s world of sports broadcasting—where seconds matter and every word counts. They explore how Jen’s approach to preparation, precision, and presence applies far beyond the sidelines, offering leaders a model for communicating clearly and engaging others under pressure.

What begins as a story about post-game interviews becomes a reflection on what great meetings, coaching moments, and conversations have in common: thoughtful preparation, shared airtime, and genuine listening.

You’ll Hear:
– Preparation Creates Freedom – How doing your homework allows you to be more spontaneous and responsive in the moment.
– Make Time Your Friend – Why embracing time constraints can foster safety, inclusion, and sharper dialogue.
– Curate, Don’t Cram – The value of saying only what matters—and leaving space for others to contribute.
– Engaging Every Voice – How intentional facilitation helps quieter participants feel seen and heard.

Leadership Story Talks | Bridging Facts, Feelings, and Community with Dr. Anja Timmermann

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 22:00:00 -0600

Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with Dr. Anja Timmermann—historian, communication scientist, journalist, and founder of the Storytelling Symposium in Germany. With a background spanning academia, media, and neuroscience, Dr. Timmermann brings a rich, evidence-based perspective to how humans share knowledge, build connection, and lead through story.

She begins with a vivid moment of culture shock—standing in a Manhattan bus line, a stranger in a city of millions—only to be folded into community by a handful of New Yorkers offering quarters for her fare. That small act of generosity became a lifelong metaphor: storytelling as the bridge between isolation and belonging.

You’ll Hear:

Belonging Through Story – How a simple New York bus encounter revealed storytelling’s power to create instant community.
From Facts to Connection – Why storytelling doesn’t distort data—it contextualizes it, allowing truth to be felt as well as known.
Building the Storytelling Symposium – A global gathering where researchers, educators, and practitioners bring narrative competence into serious professional practice.
The START Framework – Anja’s adaptation of the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result + Transfer) to help experts translate complexity into clarity.
Working with Scientists – How she helps data-driven minds see that story is not a compromise of accuracy, but an expansion of understanding.
Listen Before You Tell – Why the most powerful storytellers are also great listeners—because connection starts with curiosity.

Resources

Dr. Anja Timmermann on LinkedIn
Storytelling Symposium: Find out more and register for the 2025 edition!
The storytelling-symposium.de
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
Youtube
Symposium on LinkedIn
Symposium on Youtube

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss AI, Culture, and the Stories That Reflect Us

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

"When AI is mimicking as opposed to truly reflecting a culture, things become dull… it’s been flattened out." — James Francis

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne unpack James Francis’s reflection on artificial intelligence and culture—and draw striking parallels to storytelling itself.

When we rely on a single story, or a single perspective, we flatten complexity. But when we listen for nuance, explore multiple angles, and share stories across differences, we begin to reflect the true richness of human experience.

You’ll Hear:
– Beyond the One Story – Why telling more than one story about yourself or your organization builds trust and dimension.
– Curiosity as a Cultural Practice – How visiting new environments and listening to unfamiliar voices keeps our communication muscles strong.
– Technology vs. Humanity – Why AI can’t replace the simple power of conversation and genuine connection.
– Reflection Over Replication – How both leaders and technologists can aim to mirror culture, not mimic it.

Leadership Story Talks | Rediscovering Self Beyond Labels with Dr. LaNysha Adams

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Dr. LaNysha Adams—TEDx speaker, ten-time award-winning author of Me Power, and Director of Student Wellness at Santa Fe Community College.

Dr. Adams shares a profoundly personal story of surviving sudden cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic—an experience that reshaped her relationship to time, gratitude, and purpose. From that moment emerged a new mission: to help others reclaim their agency and rediscover who they are beyond the labels that define them.

Through her Me Power framework and the concept of radical self-interrogation, LaNysha invites us to question the roles, titles, and identities we cling to—and to remember that the constant in every life transition is us.

You’ll Hear:

Survival & Clarity – How a near-death experience revealed the urgency of living with intention
Beyond Labels – Why over-identifying with roles can leave us lost when life changes
Radical Self-Interrogation – How asking “why do I believe what I believe?” can uncover authenticity and healing
The Me Power Framework – Five pillars that help individuals identify strengths, remove barriers, and take action even when unsure
From Confusion to Clarity – How one client used the Me Power process to leave a grind of multiple jobs and build a fulfilling new career

Whether you’re navigating change, seeking purpose, or supporting others through transition, this conversation is a moving reminder that power doesn’t come from titles—it comes from the choices we make about who we are and how we show up.

Resources

Social links:
https://bio.link/edling
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanysha/

Free audiobook for audience: https://bit.ly/mepower4me
TEDx: How to radically question your labels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi0ggI6BU0I

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Kindness, Feedback, and the Power of “What Happened”

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0600

"There was a beginning and an end… and all the contributing factors that made it actionable."

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on Andy Goram’s story of receiving tough but transformative feedback. What could have been a demoralizing moment instead became a catalyst for growth—showing how honesty, kindness, and specificity can turn feedback into fuel.

They connect Andy’s lesson to the heart of storytelling itself: when you focus on what happened—not just feelings or conclusions—you create clarity, accountability, and the chance for true dialogue.

You’ll Hear:
– Feedback as Storytelling – Why recounting events as they happened creates empathy and opens space for understanding.
– Kindness vs. Comfort – How being specific and honest is more supportive than softening the truth.
– Beyond One-and-Done – Why feedback is a process, not a single conversation.
– A Two-Way Street – How receiving feedback with openness is just as vital as giving it.

Leadership Story Talks | Conversations in Seconds: Precision, Clarity & Leadership with Jen Mueller

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Jen Mueller—business communication expert, Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, and founder of Talk Sporty to Me. With over 25 years on the sidelines of the NFL, MLB, and beyond, Jen translates lessons from high-pressure sports environments into practical strategies for business leaders.

Drawing on early experiences where she was told to stay quiet in locker rooms, Jen shares how she built her voice, why clarity beats volume, and how leaders can empower every member of a team to contribute. Her approach demonstrates that preparation, specificity, and consistency transform everyday conversations into moments of influence and trust.

Through her consulting, keynote speaking, and media work, Jen equips leaders to define success clearly, avoid the traps of ambiguity, and “stack wins” by focusing on small, consistent improvements.

You’ll Hear:

Seconds, Not Minutes – Why communication impact is measured in 15–20 seconds of clarity, not long speeches.
Defining Failure to Enable Success – How setting clear parameters creates accountability and builds trust.
Empowering Every Voice – Practical ways leaders can draw contributions from quieter team members.
Stacking Wins – Why small adjustments and consistent feedback drive motivation and long-term performance.
Leadership Through Precision – How preparation and authenticity make communication more effective than spontaneity.

Whether you’re leading in the boardroom or the locker room, Jen’s insights offer actionable tools to sharpen your communication and elevate your team.

Resources

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Reflect on How Leaders Can Truly Support Their Teams

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

“We see so often the Peter Principle play out… What we really need in today’s world are unblockers of work.” — Liz Gulliver

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on Liz Gulliver’s insight that many managers are promoted for technical expertise but left unsupported in learning how to lead people. The result? Micromanagement, lost trust, and teams held back instead of propelled forward.

They explore how shifting from “directors of work” to “unblockers of work” can transform leadership today—by creating psychological safety, encouraging authentic conversations, and modeling humanity through shared stories.

You’ll Hear:
– From Micromanagers to Unblockers – Why leadership isn’t about correcting every formula or cell, but asking “What’s holding you back?”
– Learning by Observation – How watching leaders model authenticity, vulnerability, and risk-taking is more powerful than any handbook.
– The Role of Storytelling – Why sharing personal challenges and lessons builds trust and motivates teams beyond metrics and KPIs.
– Supporting New Leaders – How HR, peers, and mentors can help those promoted from technical roles navigate the shift to people leadership.

Leadership Story Talks | Artificial Integrity: Building AI with Empathy, Justice & Humanity with James Francis

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with James Francis—investor, technologist, and founder of Paradigm Asset Management and Sol.ai—about his groundbreaking framework, Artificial Integrity. With decades of experience managing billions through data-driven systems, James now focuses on a question that impacts us all: How do we build AI that elevates humanity rather than flattens it?

Drawing from his own upbringing in a “can-do” family culture, James shares how curiosity and bold experimentation shaped his thinking—and why those same qualities are vital as we face the opportunities and risks of AI. He explains why traditional approaches to AI ethics fall short, and how Artificial Integrity calls for embedding empathy, justice, and cultural intelligence into AI systems from the ground up.

You’ll Hear:

Kind vs. Convenient AI – Why a moral compass, not just risk mitigation, must guide how we build technology
The Loudest Voice Problem – How AI reflects (and magnifies) dominant narratives while silencing marginalized voices
From Flattening to Amplifying – Why preserving cultural nuance and language is essential to trust and belonging
Voice Is Not Enough – The difference between mimicking communities and truly understanding them through context, memory, and respect
Leadership Over Code – Why the future of AI depends less on smarter machines and more on better human leadership

Whether you’re a technologist, business leader, or simply curious about the impact of AI on culture and democracy, this conversation challenges you to think beyond efficiency—and toward building systems rooted in empathy and integrity.

LINKS ~

Artificial Integrity

Instagram: thesole.ai
Facebook: SOLE on Facebook
X (Twitter): @thesoleai
LinkedIn: SOLE on LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Reflect on Grit, Process, and Learning from Success

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

"…I wasn’t a good athlete and I was never going to be a good athlete, but what I was good at was trying to be a little bit better next time than I was this time." — George Pesansky

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on George Pesansky’s story of running uphill—literally and figuratively. What began as a painful failure in cross-country running became the foundation for a leadership style built on persistence, self-awareness, and learning from what does work.

They explore how George’s insight—focusing not only on mistakes but on consistent successes—can transform how organizations think about leadership, process improvement, and knowledge transfer.

You’ll Hear:
– The Power of Persistence – Why resilience is less about winning and more about showing up, trying again, and modeling accountability.
– Learning from Success – How focusing on what worked can be as valuable—if not more—than dissecting what went wrong.
– Capturing Institutional Knowledge – Why stories from long-time employees hold the keys to process improvement and continuity.
– Reframing “Failure” – How so-called failures can be retold as lessons that shape leadership character and future confidence.

Leadership Story Talks | Building Sticky Cultures with Kindness, Stories & Everyday Actions with Andy Goram

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Andy Goram—also known as The Sticky Guy—a culture, leadership, and engagement consultant on a mission to help organizations create workplaces people don’t want to leave.

Drawing on a pivotal career moment when a manager’s blunt but kind feedback changed his trajectory, Andy shares why being kind, not just nice is the foundation for growth, and how leaders can embed culture through real stories and consistent behaviors.

Through his consulting work and Sticky From The Inside podcast, Andy shows how organizations can move beyond posters and campaigns to make values real—and how small actions from managers can spark meaningful cultural shifts.

You’ll Hear:

Kindness vs. Niceness – Why telling the truth, even when hard, is the most powerful act of leadership
Culture is Everyone’s Job – Why engagement can’t be outsourced to HR or a campaign
The Future Story – How crafting and testing an engaging narrative gives people certainty and connection
Avoiding Story Fatigue – Why leaders must invite dialogue so stories don’t lose meaning on the way down the org chart
Momentum Through Small Moves – How simple, consistent actions—like one manager reshaping meeting culture—can ripple through an organization

Whether you’re a CEO rethinking culture or a manager looking to make your “pond” thrive, this conversation offers practical tools and fresh perspectives to make engagement stick.

Resources

Andy Goram on LinkedIn
The Bizjuicer website
More about Andy, his 7 step method, and Bizjuicer here

Sticky From The Inside Podcast

Sticky From The Inside Socials

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Leadership Failures in Titanic's Rescue

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

“He failed to even take the most basic action… Instead, the Californian watched, motionless, as Titanic sank into the night.”

In this debrief, Jerome and Julienne reflect on Kelly Skwarcan’s striking account of leadership failure aboard the SS Californian—a ship that might have saved hundreds of lives after Titanic sank but instead stood by, paralyzed by inaction and then mired in cover-up.

This moment of history opens up a conversation about what real leadership requires today: courage, accountability, and the willingness to hear voices from every level of the organization.

You’ll Hear:
- Silence in the Face of Crisis – Why ignoring urgent signals—whether distress rockets or employee concerns—leads to disaster.

- Integrity vs. Cover-Up – How owning mistakes can build trust, while hiding them erodes it.

- Courage Across the Ranks – The role of “lower-level” voices that speak truth to power, and why leaders must empower them.

- Turning Over Stones – How exploring formative experiences—even from childhood—can reveal the roots of our leadership style today.

Leadership Story Talks | Building Businesses with Culture, Flexibility & Belonging with Liz Gulliver

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Liz Gulliver—co-founder of Kunik, a community-driven platform helping companies retain and engage working parents and caregivers. Drawing on her own experience as a working parent in high-pressure corporate environments, Liz has built a business around rethinking how organizations approach flexibility, culture, and belonging.

Through candid stories and data-backed insights, Liz challenges leaders to look beyond surface-level benefits and ask deeper questions about what support really means—and why it matters for performance, retention, and diversity.

You’ll come away with a sharper lens on how care responsibilities intersect with leadership, and practical ways to create a workplace where everyone can thrive.

You’ll Hear:

The Myth of “One-Size-Fits-All” Benefits – Why cookie-cutter policies fail to meet real employee needs
Belonging is Performance Infrastructure – How inclusive cultures directly fuel productivity and retention
From Perk to Priority – Why supporting caregivers should sit at the heart of your talent strategy, not the edges
Leaders as Culture Shapers – How everyday actions from managers set the tone for inclusion
Story as a Bridge – Why sharing lived experiences around caregiving can dissolve stigma and build trust

Whether you’re a senior leader, HR professional, or someone balancing work and caregiving yourself, this conversation offers insight into designing workplaces for the realities of modern life.

Resources:

Liz on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-gulliver/
Kunik web site: www.getkunik.com

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Bringing People Together with Story

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

“We need to cross your streams. We need to have a full Ghostbusters moment.”

In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Evante Daniels — unpacking the metaphor of “crossing streams” and what it reveals about silos, purpose, and building cultures that last.

They explore why organizations often keep departments, generations, and perspectives separate—and what becomes possible when you bring them together with intention.

You’ll Hear:
Why Silos Aren’t the Enemy – Jerome explains that silos exist for a reason—but the problem is when they become walls. Storytelling becomes the bridge.

Purpose Breaks Through – When people share why their work matters, others listen differently. Julienne and Jerome share how personal stories humanize strategy and reframe workplace dynamics.

What Happens When Streams Cross – A retreat story brings it to life: when research and sales teams shared the personal why behind their work, respect, empathy—and collaboration—followed.

A Question for Leaders – Are you creating space for departments to connect through story? Or are you still hoping they’ll “just work it out”?

As Julienne says: “We have to take a pause and think about who we’re mixing up.”

Leadership Story Talks | What Does Real Performance Look Like with George Pesansky

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with George Pesansky—executive coach, performance consultant, and author of the upcoming book Superperformance: 8 Strategies to Reach Full Potential for Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization (Greenleaf Book Group, Sept. 2025).

George shares how his personal story—running uphill, literally—led him to discover that the real key to success isn’t talent or perfection, but the drive to improve deliberately. From factory floors to the C-suite, he’s seen firsthand how small shifts in mindset, measurement, and leadership can unlock meaningful, repeatable breakthroughs.

You’ll come away with a fresh perspective on what drives sustainable performance—and how to lead teams that don’t just survive, but thrive.

You’ll Hear:

The Prison of Expectations – Why setting marginal goals keeps us small—and how to break free
The Golden Hour – How to identify and replicate your team’s peak performance moments
Stop Fixating on Failure – Why most performance reviews miss the mark—and how to learn from what works
Empathy as Strategy – How spending time in the break room leads to stronger, more resilient teams
Purpose + Practice = Superperformance – Why microlearning, consistency, and community matter more than charisma

Whether you lead a nonprofit, a production line, or a leadership team, George’s approach invites you to shift your focus—from pressure to purpose, from output to ownership.

Resources ~

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deliberateimprovement
Facebook: facebook.com/george.pesansky
X (formerly Twitter): @SuperPerformnz
Book: Superperformance: 8 Strategies to Reach Full Potential for Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization – Greenleaf Book Group (Sept. 2025)

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Elevating Voices

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

"That’s the only reason you’re in this office.”

In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their powerful conversation with Charles Bernard—zeroing in on one pivotal moment: a leader choosing to elevate a quiet voice in the room. That moment not only launched Charles’s career in sales—it reshaped his sense of self.

In this debrief, our hosts explore what happens when someone sees potential in us before we see it in ourselves—and how leaders can create those moments for others.

You’ll Hear:

The Power of Advocacy – How a single act of recognition transformed Charles’s trajectory and instilled lasting confidence.

Who Gets to Speak? – Why organizations need to go beyond the same familiar voices to tell their true story—and what’s lost when they don’t.

A Prompt for Leaders – Are you the person elevating new perspectives, or sticking to the usual suspects? What stories are you missing?

A Personal Reflection – Jerome shares a moment when someone did the same for him—and how it shaped his ability to speak up and belong.

As Julienne puts it: “We need to check our assumptions—what valuable input are we not gathering because we’ve already written a script about someone?”

Learn more and listen to Charles Bernard’s full episode HERE

Leadership Story Talks | Success & Failure on the Titanic's Rescue with Kelly Skwarcan

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What does the Titanic teach us about psychological safety, trust, and moral leadership?
In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with Kelly Skwarcan—leadership consultant, author, and creator of Leadership in Crisis: The Titanic, Carpathia, and Californian. Through this unique, immersive case study, Kelly unpacks the psychology behind two ships on the night of the Titanic disaster: one that responded heroically, and one that stood still.

With a background in personality psychology and a flair for dramatic storytelling, Kelly offers a powerful lens into how individual traits and organizational climate shape performance—especially under pressure. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of what creates (or destroys) psychological safety on a team, and what leaders today can do to build trust that endures.

You’ll Hear:
The Real Story Behind the Titanic Rescue: Why one ship's captain answered the call while another ship's captain went back to sleep
Why Personality Matters – How the HEXACO model and honesty-humility shape team behavior and leadership effectiveness
The Hidden Cost of Silence – How fear of speaking up can sink performance, and how to create a climate where every voice counts
Trust Requires Vulnerability – Why we get the trust equation backwards—and how to reverse it for stronger leadership
From History to High Performance – How CBMI (Competence, Benevolence, Integrity) builds trust that lasts

This conversation offers rich takeaways grounded in psychological research and real-world resonance.

Resources ~
Website: kellyskwarcan.com
Iron & Ice: The Full Tale of the Titanic by Kelly E. Skwarcan – Buy on AmazonInstagram: @kellyskwarcan
LinkedIn
Personality Assessment: HEXACO.org
Contact Kelly: kellyskwarcan@gmail.com

Alexandra Boyd's, feature documentary that Jerome mentions is Ship of Dreams: Titanic Movie Diaries. Supporting actors in James Cameron's film read from diaries they wrote on set including Peter White who played 3rd Officer Groves of the Californian. Sadly, his scene was cut from the film.

Available to rent/own on Amazon and many other platforms.
Trailer: shipofdreamsfilm.com

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss the Power of the Handwritten Letter

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their heartfelt conversation with author and keynote speaker Amy Daughters, whose work explores the unexpected power of handwritten letters in the digital age.

Centered on a deceptively simple idea—taking the time to write a note—this episode dives into the emotional resonance and intentionality behind putting pen to paper. Julienne and Jerome uncover the deep links between this analog form of communication and their own work in storytelling: both invite us to slow down, reflect, and connect meaningfully with others.

You’ll Hear:

✍️ The Handwritten Difference – Why writing a physical note is more than a nicety—it's a powerful act of attention, intention, and connection.

🧠 Slow Down to Tune In – How handwriting, like storytelling, invites you to pause and focus not on yourself, but on the person receiving your words.

📬 The Power of Personalization – How a brief handwritten message—amid a stack of generic communications—can make someone feel uniquely seen and valued.

📎 Tangible Tokens of Gratitude – Why physical notes stick with us—literally and emotionally—long after a digital message fades from our inboxes.

🪞 Story as a Gift – How sharing personal experiences isn’t self-promotion, but an offering that creates bridges between people.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Intention Changes Everything – Whether it’s a letter or a story, the act of crafting something for someone else transforms how it's received.

✅ Small Acts, Big Impact – A few thoughtful words can reshape how someone feels about their day—or their place in the world.

✅ Keep It Simple – You don’t need the perfect words or stationery. Just the willingness to reach out.

✅ Emotion Is the Envelope – Facts and insights might inform—but emotion is what delivers the message to the heart.

✅ Storytelling Isn’t About You – It begins with your experience but becomes powerful when it makes others feel included and connected.

🎧 Here you will hear why handwritten notes are more than nostalgic gestures—and how you can use this practice to spark deeper relationships in leadership, work, and life.

Leadership Story Talks | Cultural Physics and Resilience with Evante Daniels

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with Evante Daniels—founder of Seeqer and originator of “cultural physics,” a groundbreaking framework for understanding how shared beliefs and narratives shape organizations. Evante works with schools, governments, and businesses to assess and strengthen what he calls “cultural resilience”—an organization’s ability to withstand and adapt to shifting cultural forces.

From his earliest soundboard gig at a 6,500-person Black church in Atlanta to mapping cultural “levees” that can either guide or erode business performance, Evante weaves together metaphor, measurement, and meaning. His story is a masterclass in combining systems thinking with deep human insight.

You’ll hear:

What cultural physics is—and how it helps leaders understand what’s really happening beneath the surface
Why culture is like a river, and organizations are like levees
The hidden costs of neglecting culture until a crisis hits
What it takes to build culturally resilient organizations in a world of constant change
Why succession planning is a cultural issue, not just a leadership one
How storytelling engages the nervous system before the brain—and why that matters for communication

Whether you’re navigating generational divides, trying to align teams, or leading cultural transformation, this episode will give you a powerful new lens on how stories, structures, and systems interact.

🔗 Resources ~

Evante's company website: https://seeqer.co
Evante’s Substack: https://evantedaniels.substack.com/
Connect with Evante on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evantedaniels/

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss From Data to Action—Why Stories Move People wit

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their compelling conversation with Dr. Neal Baer—renowned TV producer, medical doctor, and storytelling educator—focusing on one powerful idea: “Data. Emotion. Action.”

Using this quote as a springboard, they explore how storytelling transforms dry statistics into narratives that resonate—and ultimately drive change. From justice reform to on-the-ground fundraising, they share personal stories where this triad has shown up in powerful ways.

You’ll Hear:

Storytelling with Purpose – How the “Data. Emotion. Action.” framework helps tailor stories to specific audiences, from policymakers to healthcare providers.

The Power of Voice in the Justice System – How Measures for Justice turns numbers into stories that humanize criminal justice reform—and catalyze systemic change.

A Cocktail-Hour Pivot – Why a last-minute decision to share a story at a fundraiser turned a routine speech into a moment of connection and transformation.

From ER to Harvard – How Dr. Baer’s eclectic journey from medicine to TV to academia exemplifies the power of building with a “Yes, and” mindset.

Why Lived Experience Matters – A reminder that your personal story, when shared with intention, can make a tangible difference in how others see the world.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Data Alone Isn’t Enough – Real change happens when stories infuse data with meaning and human connection.

✅ Audience Clarity is Key – A story that moves a policymaker may differ from one that moves a patient or donor—know who you’re talking to.

✅ Build With “Yes, And” – Embrace non-linear journeys. Seemingly unrelated experiences often fuel the most powerful leadership stories.

✅ Tell the Story—Even When Advised Not To – Sometimes the most impactful moments come when we trust our instincts and share something real.

✅ Stories Spark Action – When stories are rooted in data and delivered with emotion, they don’t just inform—they inspire and mobilize.

🎧 Tune in to hear how Dr Neal Baer’s work continues to shape storytelling for social change—and how you can apply his insights in your own leadership journey.

Leadership Story Talks | Shifting the Story from Product to Client with Charles Bernard

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with Charles Bernard—sales improvement expert, keynote speaker, and founder of Criteria for Success and Collavia. Charles brings more than two decades of experience helping organizations align their strategies with the modern buyer’s mindset. His mantra? Enable buying in a world of selling.

From a chance encounter in a corporate elevator to leading multi-million dollar deals, Charles shares the origin story that launched his sales career—and the powerful moment of advocacy that changed his life. His story underscores a central theme of the episode: the power of being seen, supported, and given a seat at the table.

You’ll hear:

The difference between selling and enabling buying—and why it matters
How asking “What does the buyer need to buy right now?” changes everything
Why shifting your story from product features to client impact drives results
The importance of combining philosophy and mechanics in leadership
How one client saved millions in healthcare costs by reframing their sales pitch
How structured storytelling builds connection and culture across teams

From sales to leadership to team dynamics, Charles illustrates why context, clarity, and authenticity are the real game-changers.

🔗 Resources mentioned:

www.criteriaforsuccess.com
www.collavia.com

linkedIn posts by Charles Bernard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbernard1/

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Reframing Difficult Experiences

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan revisit a powerful moment from Episode 142 with Gary Danoff:

“I’ve been laid off a number of times, and I used to have great shame about that. And now I have great pride and appreciation and acceptance of what it has taught me… Wealth can be measured in a lot of different ways… partly financial, and partly in wisdom and figuring things out.”

Inspired by Gary’s candor, Jerome and Julienne explore the transformative power of reframing difficult experiences—especially layoffs—as catalysts for personal and professional growth. They share personal stories that illustrate how setbacks often become the seeds of purpose, wisdom, and clarity in hindsight.

You’ll hear:

Why origin stories rooted in adversity build credibility and trust
How sharing pain points, when done intentionally, can support others
Jerome’s own “bus of shame” layoff story—and the values it helped him uncover
The underrated power of acknowledgment and appreciation in the workplace
Why leaders should mine their past for stories that inspire and connect

Whether you're navigating a professional transition or supporting others through change, this episode offers insight—and a dose of gratitude—for the unexpected lessons along the way.

Leadership Story Talks | The Power of the Handwritten Letter with Amy Daughters

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

What if the secret to stronger workplace connections and higher engagement could be found in your mailbox?

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne sit down with Amy Daughters—keynote speaker, author, and advocate of handwritten letters—as she shares the incredible journey that started with writing notes to a grieving acquaintance and led to a profound reconnection with over 600 Facebook friends.

Amy tells a moving story about her father’s unconventional summer camp rituals that taught her the power of being seen. That same power, she’s discovered, lives in the simple act of a handwritten note. From three-sentence messages that employees keep for decades, to short acknowledgments that create champions out of coworkers and customers, Amy demonstrates how analog tools can solve digital-age problems—especially when it comes to leadership and employee engagement.

Key Takeaways:

Why handwriting someone a note may engage them more than any digital message
How recognition—when made tangible—turns people into champions for your mission
The impact of vulnerability and authenticity in leadership communication
How a handwritten culture can counteract disengagement and build lasting trust

Links to learn more and connect with Amy Daughters:

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss How Leaders Create Meaningful Work Environments

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on their conversation with Taylor Scott, author of Lead With Hospitality and the upcoming Give Hospitality. They dive deeper into a powerful quote from Taylor:

“We love our favorite hospitality brands and destinations... nine times out of ten, it's because of how they make us feel... That's what I believe can transform mere jobs into truly meaningful work—when we as leaders can create environments where people feel the things they need to feel, so they spark and jump into action.”

Drawing on their own stories, they explore what it really takes to foster that kind of workplace. Jerome recalls a surprising moment of mentorship during his early career in finance, while Julienne emphasizes the enduring power of respect and acknowledgement in professional environments. They highlight how small human gestures can make a big impact—and how sharing lived stories within an organization helps bring core values to life.

Key Takeaways

Meaningful work is often created not by the task itself, but by how people are made to feel in the workplace.
Leaders can turn values like “respect” into tangible experiences through small acts of appreciation and support.
Storytelling helps surface and scale meaningful moments across teams, breaking silos and rebuilding connection.
You don’t need to overhaul your culture overnight—start with one value, one story, one human connection.

Related Episodes and Resources

Leadership Story Talks | Stories That Heal: From ER to Harvard, the Power of Narrative in Medicine and Social Change with Dr Neal Baer

Mon, 26 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this powerful conversation, Jerome and Julienne speak with Dr. Neal Baer—award-winning television showrunner, physician, and educator—whose career has spanned medical dramas like ER and Law & Order: SVU to pioneering a graduate program at Harvard that fuses storytelling and health. Dr. Baer reflects on how his personal journey—particularly coming out later in life—has shaped the narratives he brings to the screen and the classroom.

He shares stories about shaping public perceptions of HIV through characters on ER, introducing groundbreaking health messaging like U=U on Designated Survivor, and mentoring students who are transforming public health through narrative, art, and data.

Key Takeaways

Leaders and storytellers can create change by pairing emotion with data and action.
Personal stories and cultural context help bridge gaps in healthcare access and understanding.
Great storytelling often emerges from personal struggle, risk, and lived experience.
Storytelling is not just educational or entertaining—it’s how we know we matter

Books by Neal Baer:
- The Promise and Peril of CRISPR – Buy on Amazon
Health & Storytelling Resources:
- Harvard Medical School’s Master’s Program in Media, Medicine, and Health
Referenced Work and Contributors:
- Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa
- New York Times Magazine article by Villarosa on HIV in the U.S. South
- Wildhood by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers
- Studs Terkel – Working
- Doris Sommer – Professor at Harvard on narrative and social change

Learn More About Dr. Neal Baer

Harvard Faculty Profile:
ghsm.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/neal-baer
In-Depth Interview:
ghsm.hms.harvard.edu/interview-neal-baer
Connect with Dr. Baer:
- LinkedIn
- Instagram

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss The Questions We Carry

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this short debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on a powerful moment from their recent conversation with leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry. They explore how a single piece of advice or a simple question—delivered at just the right time—can shape the way we lead, communicate, and relate to others.

Key Themes

The lasting impact of simple, profound questions
Mentorship moments that shape leadership philosophy
The importance of asking, not assuming
Why answers aren’t always as powerful as the right questions
The role of listening and pausing in group dynamics and storytelling

Standout Quotes
“How do you want to be received by your audience, and how do you want them to receive you?” – Robert Dickman (via Julienne)

“You’re a giant tractor moving a pebble. Simplify, simplify, simplify.” – Bob Fitzpatrick (via Jerome)

“The answers are in the room. They’ll surface if we give people a pause.” – Julienne Ryan

“It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about the questions you ask.”

Mentioned in This Episode

Robert Dickman – storytelling consultant and author

Leadership Story Talks | Business is Personal with Gary Danoff

Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan engage with Gary Danoff, an executive coach and former leader at Google and Microsoft.

The conversation explores Gary's formative experiences, particularly his childhood insights into human behavior and communication. They delve into the challenges of career transitions, emphasizing the importance of reframing setbacks as opportunities. The discussion also highlights effective leadership strategies during turbulent times, advocating for personal connections and empathy in leadership roles. Gary shares inspiring stories from his coaching practice, illustrating the transformative power of storytelling and personal engagement in the workplace.

Takeaways ~ Gary's childhood experiences shaped his understanding of human behavior.
Reframing challenges can lead to new opportunities.
Empathy is crucial in supporting clients through transitions.
Leaders should engage personally with their teams during crises.
Business is inherently personal, and leaders must connect on that level.
Creating a safe environment fosters clarity and growth for clients.
Career transitions can lead to unexpected and positive outcomes.
Effective leaders lead from the front and show vulnerability.
Storytelling is a powerful tool for leaders to connect with their teams.
Networking and personal connections are vital in today's business landscape.

Email: gary@garydanoff.com

Podcast: What's Next Now!

Web: www.garydanoff.com

Insta: @garydanoff

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome and Julienne Discuss the Power of Disruption

Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on a powerful insight from Anil Singhal about embracing inevitable disruption and using company values as a steadfast guide through change. The discussion opens with a personal question: When were you faced with disruption, and how did you respond?

Julienne recalls witnessing corporate downsizing and restructuring—scenarios where clear communication and values-based leadership made all the difference. When leaders communicated transparently and demonstrated alignment with core values, they retained trust—and talent.

Jerome shares a deeply personal story of disruption: the birth of his daughter during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to be present post-surgery due to hospital protocols, he found ways to take meaningful action from afar. This moment highlights how disruption often brings a feeling of helplessness, but even small, value-driven actions can have real impact.

Together, they underscore the importance of not retreating during times of crisis, but instead leaning into core values, communicating openly, and finding productive paths forward—even in uncertainty.

Key Takeaways

Accelerate, Don’t Resist: When disruption is inevitable, facing it head-on and controlling the timeline can mitigate damage and build resilience.
Double Down on Values: Values shouldn’t fluctuate with circumstances. In fact, they become even more critical during times of upheaval.
Transparent Communication Builds Trust: During organizational change, people need clarity. Silence and secrecy lead to fear, confusion, and loss of talent.
Find Your Sphere of Influence: Even if you can’t change the circumstances, meaningful actions within your control matter—for leaders and individuals alike.

Resources

LISTEN to the interview with Anil Singhal HERE
Anil's BOOK ~ The 5% Rule of Leadership: Using Lean Decision-Making to Drive Trust, Ownership, and Team Productivity

Leadership Story Talks | Leading with Hospitality with Taylor Scott

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Jerome and Julienne sat down with Taylor Scott—author, keynote speaker, and founder of Lead With Hospitality. Taylor brings over two decades of leadership experience from the hospitality and entertainment industries and shares how a moment at the beginning of his career planted the seeds for his leadership philosophy rooted in making people feel welcome, comfortable, and important.

Key Takeaways

Great leadership is rooted in humanness, not hierarchy.
Emotional connection precedes effective management - which means leading with empathy.
Simple plans, from feeding your team to learning someone’s name, can radically shift culture.
Organizational values to guide hiring, onboarding, and retention strategies.
Vulnerability in leadership builds trust.

Taylor's links LinkedIn Instagram Website

Books

References

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip & Dan Heath
The Power of Moments by Chip & Dan Heath
The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn
Leadership Development Workshops and Edutainment Facilitation Training available at LeadWithHospitality.com
Support Relief Efforts:
- Maui Strong Fund – Hawaii Community Foundation
- American Red Cross Disaster Relief

FREE ~ Action plans from both Lead With Hospitality and the upcoming Give Hospitality

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Life Balance

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, Julienne and Jerome reflect on the thought-provoking conversation from Episode 133 with Carlo Odicino, who challenges the commonly accepted notion of "work-life balance." Carlo rejects the idea that work should be viewed as separate from life, arguing instead that we should strive for balance in life itself, integrating both work and non-work activities. Jerome and Julienne discuss the implications of this perspective, particularly for individuals working in purpose-driven industries like life sciences.

Key Takeaways:

Purpose and Passion in Work: Carlo's point about the connection between passion for one's work and the risk of burnout resonates, especially in fields like life sciences, where people are often deeply driven by a personal connection to their mission. Even in purpose-driven careers, the boundaries between work and personal life can blur, leading to challenges in maintaining balance.
Life Balance, Not Work-Life Balance: The idea of life balance emphasizes that all aspects of life—work, family, health, and leisure—are interconnected. Finding a balance between these elements is essential, but it requires conscious effort and self-awareness.
Burnout in Purpose-Driven Careers: Even in industries where people are passionate and driven by a sense of mission, burnout is a real concern. Jerome shares insights from a recent collaboration with a pharmaceutical company where storytelling was used as a strategy to combat burnout and foster a sense of appreciation among employees.
Celebrating Achievements and Pausing: One approach to addressing burnout is taking intentional pauses to celebrate achievements, both big and small. Recognizing and appreciating the hard work of employees can go a long way in reducing stress and creating a more sustainable work culture.
Using Stories to Foster Engagement: Sharing personal stories within an organization can help employees feel valued and connected to the larger mission. Storytelling, as seen in the example of the pharmaceutical company, creates a sense of belonging and reinforces the organization's values.

Reflection Prompts:

How do you currently manage the balance between your work and personal life?
What boundaries (or lack thereof) do you see in your own life between work, rest, and other responsibilities?
How can you create more space for celebration and pauses in your work culture to prevent burnout?

Call to Action: Get 25% off our self-paced online course Lead With Your Story, created in partnership wi

Leadership Story Talks | Flexible Leadership with Kevin Eikenberry

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan welcome Kevin Eikenberry, Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group and author of Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence. With over 30 years of experience developing leaders across the globe, Kevin brings fresh insight into what it takes to lead effectively in today’s complex, ever-shifting workplace.

This conversation goes beyond frameworks and titles. It’s about mindset. Kevin shares how flexibility, paradox, and curiosity can be the keys to unlocking potential—in ourselves and others.

You’ll Hear:

🌀 Why “flexible” leadership is today’s must-have skill – and how it differs from indecision or inconsistency.

🔄 Leadership as leverage – how one small comment from a leader can unintentionally ripple into weeks of work.

🧠 From Asking to Advising – striking the right balance as a coach, manager, or mentor.

🌱 The Power of Perspective – why the stories that shape us (like Kevin’s moment with a neighboring farmer) can guide how we lead.

🤝 Unlocking Potential – how belief, trust, and curiosity influence our ability to grow others.

🛠️ Leadership in a Remote World – what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how to stop yearning for a workplace that no longer exists.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Leadership isn’t a title—it’s a choice made moment to moment.
✅ Uncertainty is a constant—flexibility helps us meet it with confidence.
✅ The best coaches and leaders flex between asking powerful questions and offering targeted advice.
✅ We all have influence—and sometimes, it’s the smallest things we say that have the biggest impact.
✅ If you want to lead people well, start by believing in their potential.

Resources:

📘 Flexible Leadership book
🌐 Website
📚 Blog
🎙 Podcast
🔗 LinkedIn
👍 Facebook
📸 Instagram
🐦 Twitter
▶️ YouTube
🎵 TikTok

🎁 Don’t miss K

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss AI & Human Connection

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their conversation with Jennifer Langton, former NFL executive and champion of player safety, innovation, and ethical tech. They discuss how Jennifer’s unique leadership style—grounded in empathy, curiosity, and continuous learning—led to groundbreaking work in AI and athlete health, and what we can all take from her example.

At a time when tech often feels impersonal, Jennifer's story is a reminder that the most effective innovation happens when people are placed at the center.

You’ll Hear:

💡 Empathy as a Leadership Strategy – How Jennifer built trust across disciplines by leading with compassion and listening first.

🧠 Becoming a Student Again – Why great leaders are willing to admit what they don’t know and learn from subject matter experts around them.

🏈 A Mission-Driven Approach to Innovation – How her work at the NFL prioritized player health, making the use of AI truly purpose-driven.

🎤 From Injury to Impact – How a personal turning point shaped Jennifer’s trajectory and deepened her leadership values.

🌟 The Power of Pivots – Why stories of resilience—especially from athletes and performers—carry powerful lessons for anyone navigating change.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Human-First Leadership Wins – Progress happens when you start with people, not processes or platforms.

✅ Expertise Is Everywhere – Great leaders don’t have all the answers. They know how to bring the right voices into the room—and listen.

✅ Your Story Is Your Strength – Personal turning points, like Jennifer’s athletic injury, often spark the greatest professional growth.

✅ Performance Meets Presence – In high-stakes roles, being grounded in your values and present in your relationships is what sustains long-term success.

✅ Inspiration Is Contagious – When leaders model empathy and learning, it empowers others to do the same—and creates cultures where collaboration thrives.

For anyone looking to grow as a leader while staying true to themselves, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Tune in and be inspired by what’s possible when compassion meets strategy.

Leadership Story Talks | The 5% Rule of Leadership with Anil Singhal

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy sit down with Anil Singhal, CEO and Co-founder of NETSCOUT and author of The 5% Rule of Leadership. With 40 years at the helm of a company that has grown from a startup to a billion-dollar enterprise, Anil brings a wealth of wisdom grounded in experience, fairness, and deeply held values.

Anil shares the story behind his book and the powerful leadership framework it introduces: focus early effort on the most impactful decisions—the crucial 5% that drive 95% of outcomes. What begins as a principle becomes a company-wide approach that promotes empathy, trust, retention, and transparency across a global organization.

You’ll Hear:

The Story Behind the 5% Rule – How Anil developed this concept over decades and why he uses it to mentor the next generation of leaders.
Fairness as a Leadership Strategy – How fairness leads to better transparency, stronger culture, and better business results.
The Power of Listening – Why defining problems clearly—before proposing solutions—builds alignment, trust, and efficiency.
Human-Centered Succession Planning – How NETSCOUT is building its future through policies, alumni networks, and long-term values.
Storytelling as a Leadership Tool – How shared stories and lived values are the key to knowledge transfer, employee engagement, and long-term success.

Key Takeaways:

Start with Values – Whether you’re founding a company or leading through change, define and stick to your values—especially in tough times.
Focus on the First 5% – Strategic preparation early on reduces wasted effort and improves long-term outcomes.
Trust Multiplies Over Time – Invest in relationships early and avoid transactional behavior (like earn-outs) that can erode long-term commitment.
Institutionalize What Works – Codify successful practices so they’re scalable and repeatable, even after leadership transitions.
Prioritize People – Start with happy employees. They create happy customers, which leads to happy shareholders.

This episode is essential listening for any leader—whether you're building a startup or guiding a legacy company into the future.

Resources:

📘 Anil’s Book: The 5% Rule of Leadership
www.5percentrulebook.com

👨‍💼 Connect with Anil Singhal on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/anil-singhal

🏢 Follow NETSCOU

Leadership Story Talks | SPECIAL EPISODE: Navigating Uncertainty and Finding Connection

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this special episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy step back from their usual format to address something that’s on many people’s minds—uncertainty. With rapid change, economic anxiety, and social division dominating conversations, they explore how we can approach difficult moments with intention, curiosity, and connection.

This conversation is a raw and honest reflection on how we process change, find common ground with others, and build bridges in challenging times. Whether it’s through personal reflection, seeking support, or simply stepping into a conversation with openness, this episode is an invitation to navigate uncertainty with purpose.

You’ll Hear:

The Power of Self-Reflection – Why challenging our own assumptions can help us better engage with others in uncertain times.
Navigating Fear and Anxiety – Understanding our natural responses to uncertainty—fight, flight, or freeze—and how to work through them.
Leaning on Your Community – The importance of identifying supportive spaces and trusted individuals who provide judgment-free conversation.
Finding Small Anchors in Conversations – How shared human experiences, even as simple as a comment about the weather or a shared hobby, can open the door to deeper connection.
Moving Through the Unknown with Action – How small, intentional steps—whether through movement, self-care, or playfulness—can shift our mindset and help us navigate uncertainty with more confidence.

Key Takeaways:

Look Inward Before Looking Outward – Before engaging in difficult conversations, take time to understand your own assumptions and emotions.
Find a Safe Space for Honest Dialogue – Whether it’s a friend, mentor, or therapist, having a non-judgmental sounding board is invaluable.
Reconnect with Playfulness and Creativity – Tapping into imagination and fun can help us envision a more positive future and take action toward it.
Step into Conversations with Curiosity – Instead of avoiding difficult interactions, approach them with an open mind and a willingness to listen.
Take Care of Yourself First – Movement, nature, and small grounding exercises can help shift from a place of fear to a place of possibility.

We recorded this episode because, like many of you, we’re processing a lot right now. If you’re feeling uncertainty, we invite you to reflect, connect, and explore new ways of navigating change.

Leadership Story Talks | Reflections on Jeanne Martinet’s Approach to Mingling with Intention

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their insightful conversation with Jeanne Martinet, author of The Art of Mingling and Mingling with the Enemy. Jeanne’s expertise in social interaction and connection offers a refreshing perspective on how we approach conversations—whether at networking events, social gatherings, or even in workplace meetings.

This episode explores the power of intention when entering social spaces, how shifting your mindset can change interactions, and the surprising link between storytelling and meaningful connections.

You’ll Hear:

The Power of Intention – Why setting an intention before entering a social or professional situation can transform your experience.
Reframing Social Anxiety – How shifting from a defensive mindset to one of openness and curiosity can make conversations more enjoyable.
Fun as a Strategy – Why adopting a mindset of fun and playfulness can help break down barriers in social interactions.
Lessons from Storytelling – How preparing for a conversation is similar to preparing to tell a compelling story—both require presence and awareness.
Breaking Routines – The importance of stepping out of habitual ways of interacting and embracing the potential for surprise and discovery.

Key Takeaways:

Start with a Clear Intention – Before entering a conversation, ask yourself: What energy do I want to bring? How do I want to show up?
Be Open to Surprise – Instead of assuming you know how an interaction will unfold, embrace discovery and let yourself be genuinely curious.
Small Shifts Create Big Changes – Something as simple as walking into a room with a positive mindset can reshape the way others respond to you.
Preparation Matters – Just as storytelling requires intentionality, so does effective mingling—approach interactions with thoughtfulness and purpose.
Practice and Reflect – Try shifting your approach in social or work settings and take note of the results. What changed? How did people react?

For those looking to enhance their ability to connect in any setting—whether at work, networking events, or social gatherings—this episode offers actionable insights and real-world strategies.

Leadership Story Talks | Avoiding Burnout and Leading with Purpose with Carlo Odicino

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome Carlo Odicino, CEO and founder of One Team Partners. With over 24 years of experience scaling businesses—from Fortune 100 companies to early-stage startups—Carlo helps leaders bring their innovations to market without burning out.

Carlo shares his player-coach approach to leadership, emphasizing the importance of self-management, creativity, and sustainable growth. Drawing from his experience in life sciences, entrepreneurship, and even high school theater direction, he reveals how leaders can balance ambition with well-being—and why the key to success isn’t working more, but working smarter.

You’ll hear:

🔹 Why "work-life balance" is a myth – Instead, Carlo explains how to build a life balance that integrates meaningful work with personal well-being.
🔹 How founders and leaders fall into the burnout trap – The common assumptions and habits that lead to exhaustion, and how to break the cycle.
🔹 Delegation is a superpower – Why learning to let go and trust others is critical for business growth (and personal sanity).
🔹 The power of deep work – How multitasking keeps leaders from making real progress, and how to shift to focused, high-impact work.
🔹 Lessons from the stage – How Carlo’s experience directing high school theater informs his leadership coaching, and what business leaders can learn from actors.

Key Takeaways:

✨ Lead Yourself First – Leadership starts with self-awareness, self-management, and owning your energy.
✨ More Hours ≠ More Impact – Work smarter, not longer—sprinting all the time only leads to burnout.
✨ Delegate and Trust – Scaling a business means letting go of control and allowing others to step up.
✨ Creativity is a Leadership Skill – The best leaders embrace curiosity and innovation to solve complex challenges.

Resources:

WEBSITE: https://oneteampartners.com/

CONTACT INFO: carlo.odicino@oneteampartners.com

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjodicino/

FREE GIFT FOR LISTENERS: Free 30-minute Clarity Call : https://oneteampartners.com/contact-us/

📖 Deep Work by Cal Ne

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Navigating Vulnerability in Storytelling

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their conversation with Lisa Hope Telstra and explore the art of navigating vulnerability in storytelling. They discuss the power of acknowledging emotions in real-time and how giving the audience guidance on how to receive a story can transform the experience for both the speaker and the listener.

This episode is a reminder that storytelling—whether in a professional setting, a personal conversation, or on stage—is not just about what we say, but how we prepare our audience to engage with it.

You’ll Hear:
🎭 The Role of Emotional Transparency – How acknowledging emotions while telling a story can deepen audience engagement rather than distract from the message.

🔄 Helping Your Audience Help You – Why guiding listeners on how to receive a story prevents discomfort and fosters understanding.

🗣️ The Power of Naming the Moment – How simply stating, “I’m feeling nervous” or “This story is difficult to tell” can put both speaker and audience at ease.

💡 Applying Storytelling to Everyday Situations – How vulnerability and presence apply beyond the stage, from job interviews to team meetings.

📢 Why ‘Why Now?’ Matters – Understanding why a story needs to be told in the moment and how it aligns with the audience’s needs.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Emotions Are Not a Distraction – Acknowledging what you feel while sharing a story can create a stronger connection rather than pulling focus away.

✅ Prepare Your Audience for the Journey – Whether it’s a personal story of loss or a business presentation, letting people know how to engage creates a better experience for everyone.

✅ Define What Success Looks Like – Before sharing, ask yourself what you want your audience to take away—awareness, action, or simply acknowledgment.

✅ Vulnerability is a Leadership Strength – Leaders who embrace their emotions and communicate openly foster trust and engagement in their teams.

✅ Small Adjustments Make a Big Impact – Even in everyday conversations, offering simple context—“I just need you to listen”—helps people support you more effectively.

For leaders, storytellers, and anyone navigating emotionally charged conversations, this episode provides valuable tools for turning vulnerability into a powerful communication asset.

Leadership Story Talks | Innovation and Human Connection with Jennifer Langton

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 16:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome Jennifer Langton, a dynamic business advisor, speaker, and former senior leader at the NFL and Atari. With a career spanning finance, sports, and AI-driven innovation, Jennifer shares her insights on transformational leadership, advocating for women in business, and the power of human connection in driving change.

Jennifer’s journey—from being a four-time All-American lacrosse player to spearheading groundbreaking health and safety initiatives at the NFL—is a testament to resilience, strategic thinking, and passion-driven leadership. She dives into how emerging technologies like AI and data analytics are shaping industries and why the human element remains irreplaceable in leadership and innovation.

You’ll hear:

🔹 From the Lacrosse Field to the Boardroom – How Jennifer’s early experiences in competitive sports shaped her leadership mindset and resilience.
🔹 Navigating Change in Male-Dominated Spaces – Lessons from her career at the NFL and how she positioned herself for high-impact leadership roles.
🔹 The Power of Self-Advocacy – Jennifer shares how she created a LinkedIn roadmap to define her career trajectory and secure opportunities that aligned with her passion.
🔹 Harnessing AI to Protect Athletes – How Jennifer led the development of the NFL’s Digital Athlete, an AI-powered system to predict and prevent injuries, reducing concussions to a historic low.
🔹 Why Data Needs Human Insight – How AI and emerging technologies enhance, rather than replace, human decision-making in leadership and innovation.

Key Takeaways:

✨ Lead with Purpose – Passion-driven leadership creates impact and fosters personal fulfillment.
✨ Advocate for Yourself – Craft your own roadmap, define your value, and position yourself for growth.
✨ Innovation Requires Human Connection – AI and technology are powerful tools, but empathy and relationships drive real change.
✨ Curiosity and Adaptability Are Leadership Superpowers – Being open to learning from experts and new disciplines fuels career success.

Resources:

🌐 Jennifer Langton’s Website: jenniferlangtoninc.com
📷 Instagram: @jenny_langton
🔗 LinkedIn: Jennifer Langton

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Listening to Who People Are

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their conversation with Sona Sherratt (featured in Episode 125) and dive into the critical role storytelling plays in fostering belonging in the workplace. They explore how policies often fall short when they are disconnected from real human experiences and why sharing personal stories can bridge the gap between corporate initiatives and genuine inclusion.

This episode is a call to action for leaders and organizations to move beyond checkbox diversity efforts and create spaces where employees' authentic experiences shape workplace culture.

You’ll Hear:

💡 From Policy to People – How well-intended corporate programs can feel empty if they don’t originate from real employee experiences.

🎭 The Power of Everyday Conversations – Why informal moments—like sitting on a stairwell with a colleague—can lead to deeper understanding than any PowerPoint presentation.

📢 Belonging Through Storytelling – How real, lived experiences help people connect beyond job titles, creating a workplace culture that feels authentic and inclusive.

🔄 Flipping the Perspective – Why leaders who share personal stories—especially about moments of exclusion—can foster a culture of trust and openness.

💬 The Role of Active Listening – How simply acknowledging someone’s experience can be a game-changer for inclusion, team collaboration, and personal growth.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Policies Should Emerge from People, Not Checklists – Employees resonate with initiatives that reflect their real experiences, not jargon-heavy mandates.

✅ Stories Create Bridges – Sharing personal experiences builds understanding across different perspectives, fostering a culture of authenticity.

✅ Vulnerability Strengthens Leadership – When leaders share their own moments of exclusion or struggle, they create an environment where others feel safe to do the same.

✅ Humanity Over Headlines – It’s not about chasing trends in DEI, but about making meaningful, human-centered connections.

✅ Everyday Moments Matter – Whether it's a hallway conversation or a small act of listening, these micro-interactions shape workplace culture more than any formal training ever could.

For those looking to go beyond surface-level DEI efforts and build cultures rooted in authenticity and belonging, this episode offers valuable insights and practical takeaways.

Leadership Story Talks | The Art of Mingling & Navigating Social Landmines with Jeanne Martinet

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome Jeanne Martinet, bestselling author of The Art of Mingling and Mingling with the Enemy. Jeanne is a master of social dynamics, sharing insights on how to navigate conversations, avoid heated debates, and build meaningful connections—whether at a party, networking event, or family gathering.

With humor and wisdom, Jeanne discusses the evolving challenges of social interactions in today’s world and provides practical strategies for mingling with ease, even in politically or emotionally charged environments.

You’ll hear:

🔹 The Cocktail Napkin Moment – How Jeanne’s natural ability to connect with strangers led to the creation of The Art of Mingling.
🔹 Socializing in a Divided Era – Why conversations today often lead to tension—and how to gracefully steer them in a positive direction.
🔹 Mastering the Art of the Escape – Jeanne’s expert techniques for changing topics, diffusing awkwardness, and exiting gracefully when needed.
🔹 The Impact of Storytelling in Social Situations – How humor and self-deprecating stories can turn social missteps into connection points.
🔹 The Post-Pandemic Social Shift – How remote work and digital habits have affected face-to-face interactions—and what we can do to reclaim our social confidence.

Key Takeaways:

✨ Mingling is a skill – Small social tricks can make a big difference in how we connect with others.
✨ You don’t have to agree to engage – Learning how to navigate tough conversations can keep relationships intact and social events enjoyable.
✨ Storytelling can heal awkward moments – A well-placed personal anecdote can diffuse tension and build connections.
✨ Show up, even when you don’t feel like it – The best conversations happen when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones.

Resources:

Jeanne Martinet’s Website: www.JeanneMartinet.com
X (Twitter): @Miss_Mingle
Facebook: The Art of Mingling
LinkedIn: Jeanne Martinet

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss the Power of Feedback

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their conversation with Sascha Schick, a former corporate executive turned startup leader. Sascha’s journey from a high-powered corporate role to launching Any Help Now was inspired by a deeply personal moment with his son—a turning point that led him to rethink his priorities and embrace a new entrepreneurial path.

This episode delves into the power of personal stories in leadership, the importance of feedback, and how origin stories shape company culture and individual career paths.

You’ll Hear:

The Power of Honest Feedback – How Sascha’s young son’s simple yet profound request changed his career trajectory and reinforced the importance of listening.
The Role of Personal Stories in Leadership – Why leaders should embrace and share their personal experiences to foster connection and drive change.
Beyond the Founder Story – How employees at all levels can create and share their own narratives to align with and enhance a company’s mission.
Building Stronger Teams through Storytelling – How organizations can move beyond ‘us vs. them’ mentalities by creating space for shared experiences and dialogue.
Storytelling as a Tool for Career Growth – How finding and articulating your own story can help you gain clarity, build confidence, and navigate career transitions.

Key Takeaways:

Embrace Feedback as a Gift – Sometimes the most impactful insights come from unexpected sources, like Sascha’s son, who helped him see his work-life balance in a new light.
Everyone Has an Origin Story – Whether you’re a founder, a new hire, or a seasoned employee, your personal connection to your work is just as valuable as a company’s founding story.
Stories Create Stronger Teams – Sharing personal experiences builds understanding and fosters collaboration, breaking down barriers between departments and leadership levels.
Storytelling Enhances Communication – A well-told story can provide context, shift assumptions, and make workplace conversations more effective and engaging.
Take the Leap of Faith – Whether it's starting a new venture or rethinking your role within a company, stepping outside your comfort zone often leads to the most meaningful growth.

For those looking to harness the power of storytelling in leadership and career development, this episode offers rich insights and actionable ideas.

Leadership Story Talks | Emotional Intelligence and Vulnerability in Storytelling with Lisa Hope Tilstra

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome the insightful and inspiring Lisa Hope Tilstra, coach, facilitator, podcast host, and global expert on emotional intelligence. Lisa shares her experiences working across cultures, coaching individuals from over 25 countries, and facilitating transformative workshops in 40+ countries. She is also the creator of the Make Life Less Difficult podcast, which celebrates the power of storytelling to foster connection and resilience.

This episode is a heartfelt and thought-provoking conversation about the impact of emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and storytelling on personal growth and leadership.

You’ll hear:

The Genesis of ‘Make Life Less Difficult’: How a quote from George Eliot shaped Lisa’s philosophy and her approach to coaching, facilitating, and podcasting.
The Role of Stories in Navigating Life’s Challenges: Why sharing and listening to stories helps create connection, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
Choosing the Right Story at the Right Time: Lisa explains the difference between sharing stories from scars versus wounds and how to create safe spaces for storytelling.
Cross-Cultural Lessons from a Global Career: A paradigm-shifting moment in Cambodia helped Lisa reframe how she engages with different cultures and perspectives.
The Importance of Presence and Listening: How being fully present and acknowledging others’ experiences can transform relationships and help make life less difficult.

Key Takeaways:

The Power of Acknowledgement: Whatever someone is going through, validating their experience is a fundamental way to support them.
Storytelling Creates Connection: Sharing stories allows people to feel seen, heard, and understood, helping them move through challenges.
Sadness as a Superpower: Embracing emotions like sadness can lead to healing, transformation, and deeper joy.
Global Perspectives Matter: Simple acts, like multilingual signs, can communicate care and inclusion, especially in diverse environments.

Resources:

Make Life Less Difficult Podcast and website – Lisa’s platform for storytelling and connection
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker – A resource mentioned during the episode for creating meaningful spaces.
Lisa's Link

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Selling With Stories

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their engaging conversation with Alex Smith, a dynamic thought leader on sales and persuasion. Alex's perspective, rooted in Dan Pink's To Sell Is Human, challenges traditional notions of sales by focusing on human connection, active listening, and storytelling as key elements of persuasion and influence.

This episode offers a fresh take on how storytelling can transform everyday interactions into opportunities for authentic connection and meaningful change.

You’ll Hear:

The Misconceptions of Sales: Exploring the negative perceptions of sales and how to reframe it as guiding change rather than pushing for a transaction.
The Power of Listening: Why listening is the foundation for building trust, understanding, and crafting a compelling story.
Sales as Storytelling: Insights into how the best sales approaches integrate authentic, mission-driven narratives that resonate with people’s needs.
Shifting the Dynamic: How to disrupt formulaic sales tactics by fostering curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, and creating space for open conversations.
Relatability Matters: Examples of how relatable, well-crafted stories can turn sales interactions into meaningful exchanges.
Overcoming Negative Sales Connotations: Using empathy and possibility-focused language to create positive, lasting impressions.

Key Takeaways:

Reframe Sales as Change: Understand that persuasion is about guiding someone toward change, which applies universally in both personal and professional contexts.
Start with Listening: Effective storytelling and sales begin with deeply understanding your audience through active listening and curiosity.
Build Trust through Authenticity: Use personal and mission-driven stories to establish genuine connections that go beyond transactional goals.
Practice Patience: Sales and storytelling require trust, openness, and time; the "close" often happens over a series of conversations.
Be Generous with Knowledge: Sharing insights, resources, and stories builds goodwill and credibility, making you a trusted partner.

Listen for actionable ideas on how to integrate storytelling into sales, leadership, and everyday life.

Visit narativ.com to explore resources, training programs, and coaching opportunities to transform your storytelling approach. Whether you’re leading a team or building client rel

Leadership Story Talks | Exploring the Bias in Cultural Norms with Sona Sherratt

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome back Sona Sherratt, a distinguished faculty member at Ashridge and a doctoral candidate at the University of Cambridge. Sona’s work on psychological safety and unwritten organizational rules offers a profound exploration of how these dynamics impact workplace inclusivity and belonging.

Drawing on over 90 hours of interviews and years of experience designing executive education programs, Sona shares compelling insights into the cultural norms and biases that shape organizational behavior and what leaders can do to create authentic and inclusive work environments.

This episode is filled with transformative ideas, heartfelt stories, and practical strategies for fostering trust and psychological safety at every level of an organization.

You’ll Hear:

Insights from Sona’s research: How unwritten organizational rules influence psychological safety and disproportionately affect women and minorities.
Lessons from personal experiences: Sona’s moving story about her daughter’s encounter with bias and how it inspired her doctoral work on equality and inclusion.
The role of vulnerability: Why humility and curiosity are essential traits for leaders to foster belonging and trust within teams.
Practical strategies for leaders: How to create a culture of dissent, ensure equal participation, and build trust through meaningful connections.
Small actions with big impact: Techniques like amplifying unheard voices in meetings, offering pre-meeting agendas for inclusivity, and creating spaces for genuine dialogue.

Key Takeaways:

Ask for Dissent: Encourage diverse viewpoints and actively seek alternative perspectives to enrich decision-making.
Foster Equal Turn-Taking: Create space for everyone to contribute, especially those who may hesitate to speak up.
Practice Authenticity: Move beyond surface-level DEI initiatives by addressing real employee needs with genuine care and intention.
Embrace Vulnerability: Leaders who admit they don’t have all the answers invite collaboration and build deeper trust.
Pay Attention to Small Moments: Inclusion happens in everyday actions, from body language in meetings to language use in informal conversations.

Resources:

Learn more about Sona Sherratt’s work at Ashridge and her research on psychological safety: Ashridge Execut

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss the "I Am" Poem

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:00:00 -0700

In this debrief episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy reflect on their inspiring conversation with Pearl Alexander, a longtime leader at Georgia Tech. Pearl’s innovative use of the “I Am” poem and her approach to introducing oneself beyond titles and roles sparked a lively discussion on disrupting assumptions and fostering authentic connections.

This episode brims with actionable ideas and strategies for creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and inspired to engage fully.

You’ll Hear:

How Pearl’s unique introduction method invites creativity and self-expression, moving beyond traditional titles and bios.
The importance of storytelling in owning and sharing your identity in your own voice.
Techniques to shift how others perceive and listen to you through vulnerability and creativity.
Julienne shares examples from her HR experience, including using personal anecdotes and visual cues to break down barriers.
Jerome and Julienne highlight the value of setting the tone with authentic stories to foster trust and openness.
How relatability and human connection help participants feel safe to share their own truths.
Tips on integrating personal stories, metaphors, or analogies into professional settings to keep audiences engaged.
The importance of testing new techniques with diverse audiences to refine your approach.

Key Takeaways:

Start with Creativity: Disrupt assumptions by introducing yourself in a fresh, personal way, like an “I Am” poem.
Be Vulnerable: Sharing your truth helps create a relatable, safe environment for deeper connections.
Practice and Refine: Experiment with your storytelling approach, gathering feedback to ensure it resonates.
Focus on the Human Element: Move beyond the resume to build trust and engage meaningfully with others.

Tune in to this reflective conversation and learn how small storytelling risks can yield significant rewards in building trust and connection

Leadership Story Talks | Entrepreneurship in the Time of Covid

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 10:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome Sascha Schick, a seasoned entrepreneur, business informatics specialist, and family man who has successfully transitioned from a global corporate leadership role to founding his own company, Any Help Now. Sascha’s journey from corporate comfort to entrepreneurial innovation is filled with lessons about bravery, trust, and the power of family.

This episode is rich with inspiring stories, actionable insights, and reflections on how personal and professional values intersect to drive meaningful change.

You’ll Hear:

How a heartfelt conversation with his six-year-old son motivated Sascha to leave his global role at Amcor and start his own business, bringing him closer to his family while pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams.
Sascha’s candid reflections on balancing ambition with family priorities, including his promise to have dinner with his family every evening at 6 PM despite a demanding work schedule.
The vision behind creating a platform that simplifies access to services, bridging gaps in the market and emphasizing trust, transparency, and quality.
How Sascha combined elements of Amazon, Uber, and Booking.com to create an innovative, user-friendly service marketplace.
Why leaving a secure corporate job is not just about risk, but about redefining purpose and embracing new challenges.
The power of assembling an "A-Team" of trusted colleagues to build a successful startup.

Key Takeaways:

Trust the Process: Whether it’s assembling the right team or committing to an entrepreneurial venture, trust and collaboration are essential for success.
Align Personal and Professional Goals: Sascha’s story highlights how aligning values with actions can lead to deeper fulfillment and stronger connections.
Family First: Incorporating family values into professional decisions can lead to a more balanced and meaningful life.
Be Open to Change: Regularly reassess your goals and comfort zones to ensure they align with your evolving aspirations.

Resources:

Any Help Now: Learn more about Sascha’s innovative service platform and how it’s transforming the way people access trusted services: https://anyhelpnow.com/
Sascha Schick on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahn-saschas/

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Unpacking Boxes

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this special episode of Leadership Story Talks, co-hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan explore the metaphorical and literal significance of boxes in a conversation titled "Unpacking Boxes." Inspired by Julienne’s long-standing curiosity about Jerome’s bookshelf boxes, they delve into the symbolism, stories, and personal growth tied to what we choose to keep, store, and revisit in our lives.

Highlights from the Conversation:

A Personal Anecdote: Jerome shares the story of receiving a closed box from the founders of Narativ, which ultimately led to his role as CEO. The box symbolized potential, discovery, and the bravery to open new chapters.
The Power of Questions: Julienne reflects on the transformative power of asking simple yet profound questions, which often lead to unexpected insights and connections.
Mental and Emotional Boxes: The stories and beliefs we carry can act as "boxes" that hold us back or propel us forward. Revisiting these internal boxes can reveal hidden strengths and opportunities.
Physical Boxes: Objects we store often carry emotional weight, acting as time capsules that connect us to past experiences and inspire future directions.

Key Takeaways:

Ask the Right Questions: Curiosity can lead to profound discoveries about ourselves and others.
Embrace the Uncertainty of Unpacking: Whether literal or metaphorical, opening a box requires bravery and can lead to unexpected growth.
Use Storytelling to Explore: Stories provide a safe and structured way to unpack and make sense of the contents of our boxes.
Let Go When Needed: Sometimes, it’s necessary to close a box and move on to a new chapter in life.

By exploring the boxes we carry—both physical and metaphorical—we can uncover new insights, foster connections, and unlock potential for growth. Tune in to this reflective episode and consider what boxes in your life are ready to be opened, repurposed, or finally closed.

Leadership Story Talks | Sell By Being Human with Alex Smith

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome Alex Smith, a seasoned sales professional, podcast host, and advocate for human-centered connection in business. With over 18 years of experience in sales, including roles in EdTech software and door-to-door sales, Alex brings a refreshing perspective on the transformative power of authenticity and empathy in professional relationships. He also hosts the podcast Sell by Being Human, where he explores how sales can be a force for connection and growth.

This episode is rich with engaging stories, actionable insights, and thought-provoking reflections on how storytelling and human connection can reshape the way we approach leadership and sales.

You’ll hear:

Alex’s Sales Journey: From selling catalogs door-to-door as a child to becoming a top-ranked sales professional, Alex shares how curiosity and resilience shaped his career.
Reframing Sales Through Humanity: Alex challenges the stereotypes of salespeople, emphasizing the role of empathy, curiosity, and understanding in fostering genuine connections.
The Role of Storytelling in Sales: Why aligning stories to the listener’s experiences can transform the conversation and build trust.
Personal Growth Through Adversity: Alex reflects on pivotal moments, including personal loss, that shaped his approach to life, work, and gratitude.
Lessons From Family: Heartfelt stories of Alex’s father, a teacher and storyteller, who inspired his belief in the power of human connection.

Key Takeaways:

Selling as Human: Sales is about guiding someone toward change, built on mutual understanding and respect—not manipulation or pressure.
The Power of Stories: Crafting relatable narratives and asking insightful questions can break down barriers and foster meaningful connections.
Curiosity is Key: Genuine curiosity helps leaders and professionals create trust, credibility, and alignment in their interactions.
Gratitude and Resilience: Embracing gratitude, even during challenging times, can inspire growth and a deeper connection to one’s purpose.

Resources:

Alex’s Podcast: Sell by Being Human – where Alex explores the art of sales through the lens of human connection.
Books Mentioned: To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink – a foundational resource on the humanity of sales.
Alex Smith's profile on

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Jargon

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this short debrief episode, co-hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan reflect on their recent interview with Nadine Keller, exploring the powerful idea of how jargon can hinder connection and trust. They discuss the ways storytelling can bridge gaps in understanding and make communication more human and impactful.

Highlights from the Conversation:

The Pitfalls of Jargon: How overuse of corporate speak and acronyms can alienate listeners, even when intentions are good. Research shows that excessive jargon undermines trust and makes messages harder to process.
Storytelling as a Remedy: Stories can help clarify complex concepts, break down acronyms, and make values and initiatives more relatable and memorable.
Real-World Examples: Jerome shares insights from facilitating a program for the State Department, where personal stories added depth and humanity to abstract terms like "gender-based violence."
Julienne’s Recruiting Perspective: She reflects on how buzzwords and jargon often got in the way of meaningful conversations, and how asking simple, human-centered questions helped uncover the real impact of workplace challenges.

Key Takeaways:

Simplify to Connect: Use conversational language and real examples to communicate effectively and foster trust.
Illuminate Acronyms with Stories: Explain values and initiatives with relatable stories to make them universally understood.
Check Your Assumptions: Focus on listening and asking questions to truly understand the experiences of others.

By replacing jargon with genuine, human stories, we can create stronger connections, inspire trust, and foster deeper understanding. Tune in and learn how storytelling can transform communication in both personal and professional settings!

Leadership Story Talks | Inspiring Change with Pearl Alexander, JD

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy welcome the inspiring Pearl Alexander, JD, a transformational leader in organizational culture and higher education. Pearl shares her remarkable journey from her early career in HR at Georgia Tech to her influential work in fostering inclusion and belonging. With over 35 years of experience, Pearl has catalyzed meaningful cultural transformations and empowered leaders to create thriving workplaces.

This episode is brimming with profound insights, authentic stories, and actionable advice for leaders, professionals, and anyone interested in building inclusive and resilient organizational cultures.

You’ll hear:

Pearl’s Journey to Georgia Tech: How personal challenges as a young parent led Pearl to a fulfilling career in HR and culture building.
The Power of Storytelling in Leadership: Why storytelling is a crucial tool for inclusion, connection, and fostering a sense of belonging.
Owning Your Truth: Pearl’s reflections on embracing life’s defining moments, including personal loss, to inspire growth, resilience, and leadership development.
Transforming Leadership at Georgia Tech: Insights from the creation of the Inclusive Leaders Academy and its transformative impact on leaders and culture.
The Role of Vulnerability in Leadership: Why exploring emotions, personal narratives, and self-awareness is essential for fostering authentic leadership and overcoming challenges.

Key Takeaways:

How storytelling serves as an act of inclusion, enabling leaders to create trust and connection.
The importance of self-awareness and owning one’s story to inspire personal and professional growth.
Strategies for leaders to create psychologically safe environments that encourage authenticity and collaboration.
Practical ways to integrate belonging and inclusion into leadership practices.

Resources:

Learn more about Leadership Story Talks and other storytelling programs at Narativ.com.
Discover Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead curriculum, a cornerstone of Pearl’s leadership training programs.
Pearl on Linkedin.
Producers and Organizers (PRO SIG) - National Storytelling Network:
National Association of Black Storytellers:

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss The Influence of Assumptions

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this short debrief episode, co-hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan reflect on a key moment from their interview with Kory Kogon of FranklinCovey, discussing the lasting impact of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. They delve into one of the book's foundational ideas: the power of assumptions and how storytelling can help us challenge and overcome them.

Highlights from the Conversation:

The Influence of Assumptions: How we unconsciously create stories about others and how those narratives can hinder our ability to connect and empathize.
Storytelling as a Tool for Empathy: A powerful story reveals the importance of context in fostering understanding and breaking down assumptions.
Practical Applications in Leadership: Jerome shares a compelling story about confronting assumptions while facilitating a leadership workshop, highlighting the courage required to address behaviors that can erode trust within a team.
Julienne’s Perspective on Personal Bias: She discusses how personal history and cultural influences shape our assumptions and how to consciously set them aside to improve listening.

Key Takeaways:

Check Your Assumptions: Be mindful of the narratives you create about others and challenge them with curiosity.
Context is Key: Understanding the "why" behind someone’s actions can transform your perspective.
The Art of Listening: Identifying what gets in the way of listening is essential for effective communication and fostering trust.

Simple actions, like being mindful of our assumptions and practicing curiosity, can significantly improve workplace dynamics and personal relationships. Keep listening, learning, and connecting!

Leadership Story Talks | Empowering Female Entrepreneurs with Nadine Keller

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, hosts Julienne Ryan and Jerome Deroy sit down with Nadine Keller, founder and CEO of Precision Sales Coaching and Training. With over 18 years of experience developing strategic programs for sales professionals and empowering women entrepreneurs, Nadine shares her inspiring journey and valuable insights on storytelling, sales, and entrepreneurship.

This episode is packed with actionable advice and heartfelt stories, making it a must-listen for entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and anyone passionate about storytelling and leadership.

You'll hear:
- Nadine’s Story: From a career at Chase Manhattan Bank to launching her own consulting firm, Nadine reveals how pivotal moments shaped her professional path, including the creation of the Precision Sales Accelerator to support women entrepreneurs.
- The Power of Storytelling in Sales: Discover how personal, relatable stories can transform sales presentations, create connections, and lead to success in competitive environments.
- Breaking Barriers for Women Entrepreneurs: Nadine highlights challenges like imposter syndrome, underpricing, and achieving work-life balance, offering actionable advice for overcoming these obstacles.
- Human Connection Over Corporate Jargon: Why ditching jargon and focusing on human connection leads to more effective communication and trust in business.
- Lessons from Loss: Nadine shares how a personal tragedy inspired her mission to create a meaningful legacy by helping others find balance and joy in their entrepreneurial journeys.

Key Takeaways:
- How to create an irresistible sales offer that resonates with clients by making it "all about them."
- The importance of leaning into empathy and collaboration during sales conversations.
- The role of community and support in sustaining entrepreneurial success.
- Practical insights on overcoming fear, staying focused, and building a thriving business while maintaining personal fulfillment.

Resources:
- Learn more about Nadine’s work at precisionsalescoaching.com
- Explore the Precision Accelerator program designed for women entrepreneurs: www.precisionsalescoaching.com/accelerator
- Access Nadine’s fear assessment tool to identify and tackle fears holding you back.

Leadership Story Talks | The Impact of Storytelling

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0700

RECORDED 11.11.2024

In this special episode of *Leadership Story Talks*, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan explore the power of connection in uncertain times. Reflecting on recent events, they discuss how storytelling can be a bridge to understanding and connection, even when we hold differing perspectives. Jerome and Julienne share practical advice on fostering meaningful conversations by listening without judgment, grounding ourselves, and remembering to breathe.

They emphasize the importance of small, intentional acts of connection, whether it’s speaking openly with a trusted friend or finding common ground with family. Drawing insights from Dr. Ruth Westheimer's "The Joy of Connections" they offer tips on how to approach holiday gatherings and challenging discussions with empathy and patience. Tune in for an episode filled with thoughtful guidance on how to connect, listen, and build a foundation of respect and trust in all your interactions.

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Difficult Conversations

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode of Julienne and Jerome debrief a previous conversation with Jennifer Gardner. Discussing the impact and techniques of storytelling in professional settings, They connect storytelling to leadership, particularly in delivering difficult messages.

They share a story about a leader who used a personal journey metaphor to introduce a challenging topic, which helped her team engage more openly with finding solutions. This episode emphasizes the importance of staying present after sharing a story to gather the valuable feedback that emerges.

Jerome and Julienne underline that storytelling is not an innate skill for everyone but a craft that can be learned, with Narativ offering training programs to help individuals refine their storytelling abilities.
For those interested in mastering storytelling, Narativ offers resources and one-on-one coaching to support this journey.

Tune in to learn how storytelling can become a transformative tool for leadership and team connection.

LISTEN to the full podcast HERE

Leadership Story Talks | The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People with Kory Kogon

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0700

In this insightful episode of Leadership Story Talks, co-hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan are joined by Kory Kogon, Vice President of Content Development at FranklinCovey and senior leadership consultant.

Kory shares her perspective on FranklinCovey’s principles, focusing on the timeless impact of Stephen Covey’s "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and its newly updated course. She explains the importance of the "maturity continuum," from dependence to independence and interdependence, and how these stages are critical to personal and professional growth.

Listeners will discover:
- Why the principles in "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" remain relevant, especially in today’s changing world.
- How storytelling and empathy play crucial roles in building trust within teams and organizations.
- How the FranklinCovey courses, designed with engaging videos and real-life scenarios, help individuals and teams implement principles to create impactful changes.
- How leaders can prepare for challenges like AI and automation by developing "power skills" like emotional intelligence and adaptability.
- Kory’s insights into "Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw" as a fundamental practice for sustained personal and professional effectiveness.

Whether you're new to the principles of FranklinCovey or a seasoned leader looking for inspiration, Kory’s perspective will provide actionable steps for growth in any environment.

Helpful Links:
- The Seven Habits course link from FranklinCovey
- Kory Kogon at FranklinCovey Speakers Bureau
- FranklinCovey on Twitter
- FranklinCovey on Facebook
- FranklinCovey on LinkedIn
- FranklinCovey on YouTube
- FranklinCovey on Instagram

This episode dives into how timeless principles drive behavior change and better relationships, offering listeners an opportunity to rethink and transform their own leadership journeys. Enjoy listening!

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss the Value of Experience

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:00:00 -0600

In this debrief episode, Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan dive into a memorable excerpt from a previous conversation with Kaila Lim. They reflect on Kaila's perspective about how storytelling often outshines a traditional resume in the tech industry. Kaila emphasizes the importance of conveying your value and experiences through authentic storytelling, rather than relying solely on a document.

Julienne shares her own insights on how storytelling helps uncover what truly drives individuals, making connections that go beyond the resume. Tune in to explore how these ideas can enhance team building, hiring, and even personal career journeys.

Community “Hire Me” Page Kaila created to blast to the world to find her next role

Kaila’s Personal Blog for Kaila’s writing

Kaila’s Quora for more personal stories

Kaila’s LinkedIn to keep up to date

Antler for any founders who want to apply to their upcoming Residency

Leadership Story Talks | Persuasive Communication with Jennifer B Gardner

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 09:00:00 -0600

In this insightful episode, Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan sit down with Jennifer B. Gardner, a Los Angeles-based trial lawyer, educator, and part-time administrative law judge, to explore the themes of persuasive communication, storytelling, and leadership. Jennifer shares her journey through high-stakes litigation, discussing how storytelling has been a powerful tool in her career.

Key Topics:
The Power of Storytelling in Law: Jennifer reflects on her early legal career and how storytelling helped her win cases even when she lacked deep technical knowledge. She emphasizes the emotional connection that stories create with juries and clients.

Influence and Persuasion: Jennifer explains the science behind influence, linking it to emotional connections. She shares insights on how storytelling taps into the right brain, enhancing suggestibility and emotional resonance, which is key to persuasion.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: Leaders must hone their emotional intelligence (EQ) to influence and inspire others. Jennifer discusses the importance of listening deeply, connecting authentically, and regulating emotions to drive results.

Lessons from Acting and Improv: Jennifer delves into how her experience in acting and improv helped her become a better communicator, teaching her how to ground emotions and speak from an authentic place in high-pressure environments.

The Power Lab: Jennifer introduces her program, "The Power Lab," which focuses on teaching high performers how to manage stress, regulate emotions, and enhance their persuasive communication skills in challenging situations.

Main Takeaways:
Storytelling is a critical tool for influence, whether in the courtroom or the boardroom. Connecting emotionally with your audience can lead to more persuasive and impactful communication.
Emotional intelligence is essential for leadership. Effective leaders listen deeply, express empathy, and connect on a human level to inspire and engage others.
Authenticity and emotional grounding are key in high-stakes communication, allowing professionals to connect with their audience and deliver messages with confidence.
Tune in to hear Jennifer's inspiring journey and learn practical techniques to improve your communication and leadership skills through storytelling and emotional intelligence.

Links:

WEBSITE
CONTACT INFO: jgardner@jgardnerassociates.com
Facebook
Insta

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss the Power of Listening

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this insightful debrief episode, hosts Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan reflect on their interview with Cecilia Loving and Gina Leow focusing on their powerful approach to leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Without ever using buzzwords like "DEI," Cecilia in particular shared how she successfully connected with her toughest audience—members of the FDNY. Julienne and Jerome talk about the power of listening, moving beyond labels, a real world application, and storytelling in leadership.

Listen to the full podcast interview HERE

Leadership Story Talks | Creating Your Career Story with Kaila Lim

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne sit down with Kaila Lim, Founder Experience Lead at Antler NYC.

Kaila shares her career journey from finance to tech startups, discussing the power of storytelling in personal and professional development.
She emphasizes the importance of community-building and recounts how vulnerability and resilience shaped her path, especially through pivotal experiences like the transition from a corporate to a startup environment.

Tune in for insights on career pivots, storytelling, and the value of authentic connections in the tech space.

Notes:

Community "Hire Me" Page Kaila created to blast to the world to find her next role
Kaila's Personal Blog for Kaila's writing
Kaila's Quora for more personal stories
Kaila's LinkedIn to keep up to date
Antler for any founders who want to apply to their upcoming Residency

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Change

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss the work of Curtis Bateman and his expertise on change in the workplace.

Listen to their discussion with Curtis in Episode #106

Leadership Story Talks | Connecting Through Circles with Cecilia Loving & Gina Leow

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0600

“You can even have circles where there’s no talking whatsoever, but just the simple and full act of listening and being present for one another.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Cecilia Loving and Gina Leow, two leaders in diversity and inclusion at PBS. Cecilia, Senior Vice President, and Gina, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, bring years of experience in fostering belonging and building trust. Together, they co-authored the book Connecting Through Circles, which focuses on using circle practices to promote healing, restorative justice, emotional intelligence, and community cohesion.

Cecilia shares how storytelling has shaped her work as a theologian and lawyer, and how the concept of circles has become central to her approach in creating healing spaces. They explain the structure of circle processes, including the use of a talking piece and the importance of listening and presence, and how circles create a space where participants can share openly or remain in silence, fostering inclusivity and understanding.

Tune in to explore how silence, storytelling, and the simple act of passing a talking stick can transform group dynamics and help build stronger, more empathetic communities—both in-person and virtually!

Notes

Order their book “Connecting Through Circles” here

You can also order Cecilia Loving’s other works:

The Power of Inclusion: Meditating with Compassion,Healing with Generosity, Leading with Love;

UNBROKEN CIRCLES: Holding Space, Finding Forgiveness and Transcending Edges.

Cecilia Loving and Gina Leow also publish online resources, including Courageous Conversations, which can be downloaded for free.

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss the Path from Story to Outcome

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss the work of disability advocate Katherine Carol with her daughter Mikelle and their community at The Shining Beautiful Series.

Listen to their discussion with Katherine in Episode #103

The Shining Beautiful Podcast

Leadership Story Talks | Navigating Change with Curtis Bateman

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"The journey of change is important. And the goal isn't to eliminate that journey"

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan welcome back Curtis Bateman, best-selling co-author of "Change: How to Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity" and Vice President of Direct International Offices for Franklin Covey. With over 24 years in the training industry, Curtis shares his insights on navigating change, leveraging storytelling, and fostering a culture of ownership and connection within organizations.

He talks about the four zones of change: Status Quo, Disruption, Adoption, and Innovation, and teaches practical tools and leadership behaviors to guide your team through these stages. Curtis also introduces the three C's framework—Connection, Collaboration, and Change—to address the challenges of remote and hybrid work environments.

Join us as we delve into the role of storytelling in change management, the importance of celebrating progress, and the power of creating a culture that encourages individual ownership and proactive communication.

Notes

Learn more about Curtis Bateman

(Pre)order the book here

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Our Shared Humanity

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss a collaborative book project, Echoes of Humanity, that Kelly collated and to which both Jerome and Julienne contributed.

Listen to their discussion with Kelly Markey in Episode #104

KellyMarkey.com

Leadership Story Talks | Stories of Shared Humanity with Kelly Markey

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0600

Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan speak with Kelly Markey, an eight-time international bestselling author and passionate advocate for social justice and equality.
Kelly's book, "Life of Jayandra," won the top book of the year award in 2024 for Suicide Awareness, and will be showcased on a New York City Times Square billboard on September 6, 2024.

As the CEO and founder of Markey Writing Academy and Beacon of Hope, Kelly is dedicated to uplifting narratives and empowering voices to inspire positive social change.
Jerome and Julienne delve into Kelly's journey, discussing the genesis of her book, "Echoes of Humanity," and the powerful stories within it that aim to spark introspection and tangible change. Kelly shares her criteria for selecting contributors and the impact these stories have had on her and her community. They also explore the broader implications of storytelling in advocating for mental health, disability, and social justice, emphasizing the transformative power of lived experiences.
Kelly opens up about her personal experiences, including the profound impact of losing her brother to suicide, which has fueled her mission to advocate for a better world. The episode concludes with insights into the upcoming launch events for Kelly's books and a call to action for listeners to engage with these powerful narratives.

@KellyMarkeyAuthorPublisher
Kelly's links ~
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
@author_kelly_markey_
LinkedIn

If you or someone you know is suicidal, call one of the numbers in this link. If someone is in IMMEDIATE danger, please call your local emergency number (e.g. 911 in the US).

Leadership Story Talks | Giving a Voice to the Disabled Community Through Storytelling with Katherine Carol

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Leadership Story Talks, Jerome and Julienne welcome Katherine Carol, a recognized expert by the US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy. Katherine shares her extensive career in helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure employment, find necessary resources, and creatively navigate complex systems.

She also discusses her personal experiences raising her daughter Mikelle, who has special needs and is nonverbal. Together, Katherine and Mikelle host the Shining Beautiful Series podcast, which focuses on the power of storytelling and advocacy for people with disabilities.

Katherine emphasizes the importance of choosing your story and legacy as a leader, the role of storytelling in driving action, and the need for curiosity and empathy when interacting with people with disabilities. She also highlights the impact of technology, including AI, on the disability community and the importance of including diverse stories in the digital landscape.

NOTES on this episode:

As leaders, we have a responsibility to choose our story and legacy
Katherine and Julienne have worked together on advocacy storytelling for advocacy workshop
Katherine's mother was a special ed teacher back in the late forties
The question of what Katherine would like people to do more of when they're interacting with you?
Mike McCall started podcasting about grief for people with disabilities
We talked a lot about storytelling and how to tell your story

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Walls

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss walls - real and imagined - after their discussion with Laura Miller in Episode #99

Next Gen Ethics

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss The 100th Episode Live Stream

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0600

After last weeks very successful Leadership Story Talks 100th episode, Jerome and Julienne talk about the power of the stories told by nine of their returning guests.

#leadership #storytelling #listening

Listen to the 100th episode here ~
bit.ly/NarativWebsite_100

Leadership Story Talks 100th Episode | LIVEstream on YouTube

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0600

For our 100th episode, Leadership Story Talks was streamed LIVE on Youtube. Jerome & Julienne invited nine previous guests to tell a personal story based on a person or event that shaped who they are today.

The guests in this extended podcast are:

1. Kevin Griffin - singer-songwriter, musician, festival founder
LINKS
Website
Facebook
Instagram

2. Anne Bahr Thompson - Superbrands Branding Leader, a Trust Across America Top Thought Leader and a GCPIT Global Woman in Leadership
LINKS
Do Good
website
LinkedIn

3. Derek McCracken ~ Health Equity Activist
LINKS
Narrative Medicine
Narrative Mindworks
Say-Ah
Intellus

4. Anna Vafeiadou ~ Environmental Lawyer in Greece for the World Wildlife Fund
LINKS
LinkedIn

5. Park Howell - The Business of Story
LINKS
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube

6. Jodie Brockington ~ Culture Futurist and founder of BLENDiD
LINKS
Instagram
LinkedIn

7. Pernilla Rorso ~ specializing in national and organizational culture
LINKS
LinkedIn

8. Alex Seiler ~ global people leader, start up advisor, mental health and DEI champion.
LINKS
LinkedIn

9. Amy Bach ~ CEO of Measures for Justice
LINKS
Measure for Justice

Leadership Story Talks | Running into Walls and AI Ethics with Laura Miller

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0600

“Walls don't always look like what you think they do. Sometimes walls look like a no. Sometimes walls look like a oh heck no (...) and sometimes walls just look like we haven't been able to imagine it a different way (...) But once you start getting more familiar with walls, you start recognizing which kind you're finding. And then once you understand why the wall is there, you know exactly what to pick at in order to test it, challenge it, and then you can change it or pull it down.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Laura Miller. Laura is the founder and CEO of NextGen Ethics, where she focuses on advancing ethical AI innovation and public trust. She is also a respected philosophy and ethics instructor at Webster University. Her contributions to tech ethics have earned her recognition from NASA, NIST, and the US State Department, and is also the author of the upcoming book "AI Ethics in Action." She tells the story of her philosophy professor running into a wall and shows how ethics runs into walls and how AI does too. They talk about whether or not AI can be like a human, whether AI only learns from humans or humans might also learn from AI, and how we need to be intentional about how we develop AI.

Listen to this episode to dive deeper into the ethics and philosophical questions behind the development and use of AI, and learn a lot about running into walls, or breaking them, in the process!

Notes

* Learn more about Laura’s work here

* Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

* Find Laura on Instagram, X, YouTube and Spotify as ‘VoiceofAIEthics’

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss The Business of Story

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss the 'business of story' after their discussion with Park Howel from The Business of Story in Episode #97

Park Howel's website

Leadership Story Talks | Storytelling in Business with Park Howell

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"Why does this one work? And why is this one an utter failure? Well, it turned out this one actually had a story structure of set up, problem, and resolution to it, and told a story intuitively"

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Park Howell, who is known as the world's most industrious storyteller, having grown purpose-driven brands by as much as 600%. He's an Emmy Award-winning 35+ year veteran of the advertising industry, and hosts the popular weekly Business of Story podcast. He is also the author of Brand Bewitchery and co-authored The Narrative Gym for Business. After telling Jerome and Julienne about how his career in marketing and his son’s studies brought him to storytelling, Jerome then asks Park to explain how his storytelling method works. However, instead of explaining it to them, Park decides to walk them through it by creating a story about this podcast. He uses the ABT method he developed, proving that storytelling works.

This episode is not just a conversation; it's a practical masterclass in storytelling. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from a master storyteller!

Notes

* Learn more about Park here

* Listen to Park’s podcast here

* Find Park’s book here

* Visit the Business of Story website here

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Caring Bosses & AI

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss showing how much you care - when and how - and also AI in the workplace after their discussion with Cesar Keller from Collective Brains and WORKPLACE21 in Episode #95

Leadership Story Talks | AI, Humans & The Workplace with Cesar Keller

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"I love the saying "no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. It doesn't matter how wise and knowledgeable your boss is, if they don't show that they care about you, and caring is the main condition to create trust."

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Cesar Keller, an influential leader at the intersection of AI and marketing who specializes in enhancing team performance and leadership development. He is the founder and CEO of Workplace 21 and Collective Brains. Cesar has pioneered methods that leverage AI to boost organizational growth and team dynamics and is the author of Non-Human Intelligence, which explores the positive integration of AI and society. He also discusses the positive integration of AI and society, specifically AI and the workplace, with Jerome and Julienne. They focus on the application of virtual coaching and AI to help leaders develop soft skills and thereby help companies become more successful before talking about the broader effects that AI might have on organizations and the workforce. Cesar talks about trust and the surprising ways in which AI can help leaders develop the soft skills needed to build trust, and also about the importance of caring and how AI can(not) replace a caring human.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the surprising ways in which AI can help leaders develop the soft skills needed to build trust, and much more!

Notes

* Buy Cesar’s book here

* Learn more about Workplace 21 and Collective Brains

* Read his blogs here, here, and here

* Connect with Cesar on LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Difficult Conversations

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss those difficult conversations brought up in a story told by Todd Davis of Franklin Covey in Episode #93

Leadership Story Talks | Navigating Difficult Conversations with Todd Davis

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"If we realize, wait a minute, I can reduce the pain, and actually I can make progress if I focus first and foremost on balancing my needs and theirs, and if I get real clear on that balance of what we call courage and consideration."

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Todd Davis, a senior consultant and thought leader at Franklin Covey with over 35 years of experience in human resources, talent development, and executive recruiting. Todd's been with Franklin Covey for 28 plus years and until recently spent 18 of those years as Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President. Additionally, he authored and co-authored bestselling books, including 'Get Better: 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work'. Todd also just created a course focussed on navigating difficult conversations. Jerome and Julienne talk to him about why he created the course, the mindset change people need to make to have courageous conversations, and the importance of building trust.

Don't miss this episode, where you'll gain invaluable insights on navigating difficult conversations, fostering trust, and crafting your own narrative.

Notes

*Look at the FranklinCovey course site
*Find FranklinCovey on on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Pay Equity

Mon, 27 May 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss pay equity from their talk with Sally Loftis of Loftis Partners in Episode #92

Leadership Story Talks | Pay Equity with Sally Loftis

Mon, 20 May 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"Are you engaging people who are just trying to survive day to day and pay their bills? Or do you engage with people who have the capacity to dream and innovate for your company, because those day-to-day concerns are taken care of?"

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Sally Loftis. She's the managing director at Loftis Partners, a 100% woman-owned human resource resources consulting firm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Loftis Partners specializes in strategy, people facilitation, and pay justice and works at the intersection of human resources, organizational development, and social justice. As a human resources consultant, Sally specializes in people strategy and pay equity, and to start the conversation, Jerome asks her to tell them more about the connection between pay equity and employee engagement. She not only explains that connection but goes into the various ways in which pay is the linchpin and a vehicle for systemic change. They also talk about pay transparency and the influence of the pandemic on understanding the value of employees, before circling back to pay equity and how she helps organizations apply a social justice lens to both pay and the stories of experiences, and voices, that are (not) being heard.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the pivotal role pay plays in employee engagement, organizational development and social justice!

Notes

*Follow Sally Loftis on LinkedIn and Instagram

* Explore working with Loftis Partners

*Join the Pay Equity Collective

*Sign up for Loftis Partners monthly events

*Subscribe to the Fully Human | Resources newsletter

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Listening to Our Ancestors

Mon, 13 May 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this new series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss learning from our ancestors from their talk with Craig Delarge in Episode #89

Leadership Story Talks | Mental Health in the Age of Digital Technology with Craig Delarge

Mon, 06 May 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"May we have a level of wisdom and literacy and will and purpose that allows us to rise to the occasion of using our technologies to keep ourselves and our children healthy."

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Craig DeLarge. Craig is a digital healthcare strategist, mental health advocate, and educator at the Digital Mental Health Project, where he produces education and research, helping to improve the responsible adoption of digital technology and behavioral health services and therapies. As a digital and healthcare marketer, strategist, and educator, he's worked in world-class firms like Novo Nordisk and taught marketing, communications, leadership, and business ethics at several colleges. After explaining what led him to create the Digital Mental Health Project, Craig describes the key roles digital technology can play in improving (mental) health and providing access to resources for those who would otherwise not have any. They also discuss the ethics of using technology for employee wellbeing, the importance of skillful citizenship, and depression as a response to an unhealthy system.

If you are interested in learning more about the application of technology for (access to) improvement of mental health, the ethics of the use of these technologies, and ways to look at technology as well as mental health through the broader lens of society and community, this episode is for you!

Notes

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Listening With People

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this new series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss listening with people from their talk with Corine Jansen in Episode #87

Notes

*Learn more about the Global Listening Movement

*Find Corine Jansen on LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | Listening With People with Corine Jansen

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"We should take more time for self-awareness and reflection to become aware of our instruments. How do we resonate with people with different views or different morals? Am I really curious to know the other, or just to get an answer?"

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Corine Jansen. Corine has over three decades of experience in communications and management across diverse sectors. She was the Chief Listening Officer at the Reshape Center for Healthcare Innovation, focusing on impactful interactions with cancer patients and their families, and she recently co-founded the Global Listening Movement. They talk about what it means to listen with rather than to people, to let ego take the backseat, and the ethical choice you make every time you decide to listen without judgment. Corine also tells them about what it was like being a Chief Listening Officer in a hospital, collecting stories and relaying them without judgment and creating an environment where it is okay to ask for help, and about her current role in improving listening skills at the Dutch national government.

Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights on listening without judgment and the transformative power of recognizing each other's humanity. Discover how these principles can enhance human connections in various contexts, from healthcare to government, and in your personal relationships.

Notes

*Learn more about the Global Listening Movement

*Find Corine Jansen on LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | It's Always About People

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this new series of shorter podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

When you're managing a project with multiple tasks and you're trying to complete the project, it's easy to see the project as a series of to-do's and deadlines. Don't forget that it's about people. Use storytelling and listening skills to bring the humanity back to your project and make people feel seen and heard. This will get people excited and motivated to support you in completing your goal.

Kory Kogan's full episode is HERE

Leadership Story Talks | Speaking the Language of Project Management with Kory Kogan

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"Every single person in the organization should understand the language of something (...), a leader should understand the language of project management, so they understand the foibles of it and the inspiration of it when they are assigning it to a project manager."

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Kory Kogan. She is FranklinCovey’s Vice President of Content and Senior Consultant. She's the Wall Street Journal bestselling co-author of The Five Choices, the Path to Extraordinary Productivity, and has appeared as an expert on today, MSNBC's your business, forbes.com inc.com, and on fast company.com. An updated version of her book ‘Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager’ was published recently, and in this podcast they discuss the book and some of the project management principles mentioned in it. They talk about the importance of everyone knowing the ‘why’ behind a project, listening to each other, and navigating projects from both a leadership and project manager perspective.

Listen to this episode to learn about effective project management, the importance of listening in a project management context, and the value of having permission to fail.

Notes

*Learn more about Kory’s new book here

*Find Kory Kogon on LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Giving Everyone a Voice

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this new series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss giving everyone a voice, mentioned by Workplace Wellness Expert Erica Reed in Episode #83

Notes
*Learn more about Leading Well Solutions

*Find Erica Reed on LinkedIn

*Learn more about the online course “Leading with Empathy: A Trauma Informed Approach to Emotional Intelligence for HR Professionals and People Managers” here

Leadership Story Talks | Creating Workplace Wellness by Increasing Emotional Intelligence with Erica Reed

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"If you don't know what to say and you're afraid of saying the wrong thing, you say nothing. And then you have to have an awareness of what that nothingness is communicating."

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Erica Reed. She's the founder of Leading Well Solutions, and she brings over 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist and workplace wellness expert to help managers become inclusive leaders with higher levels of emotional intelligence, improved communication skills, and the ability to optimize the unique strengths of employees. They talk about her journey from being a therapist to leading a company that provides trauma-informed training and coaching in the workplace, which leads them to discuss the interaction between individual and collective identities, stories and trauma. If you don’t have the words to discuss certain topics you will stay silent and Erica explains how her training and coaching provides leaders with the tools to have difficult conversations in the workplace and create healthy relationships where people feel valued. These conversations often pertain to change, either personal or organizational, and they talk about the importance of leadership showing up at those moments.

Listen to this episode to learn more about trauma-informed leadership, healthy workplace culture and the fascinating connection between individual therapy and workplace dynamics.

Notes

*Learn more about Leading Well Solutions

*Find Erica Reed on LinkedIn

*Learn more about the online course “Leading with Empathy: A Trauma Informed Approach to Emotional Intelligence for HR Professionals and People Managers” here

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome & Julienne Discuss Intention + Attention

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0600

In this new series of short podcasts, Jerome and Julienne discuss issues brought up by one of their Leadership Story Talks guests.

In this episode they discuss using intention with attention mentioned by CEO and founder of WriterGirl Christy Pretzinger in Episode #81

Notes
* Find Christy Pretzinger on LinkedIn
* Learn more about WriterGirl

Leadership Story Talks | Building a Business Based on Kindness with Christy Pretzinger

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -0600

"When I first started my business, I said to my accountant at the time, if I can't build a business based on kindness, then I'll go back to being a freelance writer."

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Christy Pretzinger, a dynamic, visionary innovator who has transformed the landscape of healthcare content creation as the owner and CEO of WriterGirl. Christy has built an industry-leading organization that delivers top-notch content strategy and creation to the healthcare industry nationwide. Christy is also passionate about creating an environment where people can truly thrive and is dedicated to reinventing how businesses perceive the world of work and encouraging other entrepreneurs to do the same.

Christy tells Jerome and Julienne about how she went from intending to build a business environment based on kindness to creating that environment. She talks about the structures she put in place to ensure that employees know they matter, have a good life work (not work life!) balance, and can approach each other and clients with kindness and empathy. They also touch on her motivation to build her company like that and how self-awareness has been crucial for her growth as a leader and directly related to her company's growth. Along the way, Christy shares examples of the concrete tools she has used to achieve her cultural goals, which you can also implement in your workplace.

Listen to this episode to become inspired by and learn from someone who truly turned intentions for good company culture into reality by setting up concrete structures and constantly ensuring that the financial balance sheet AND the cultural balance sheet look great!

Notes

* Find Christy Pretzinger on LinkedIn

* Learn more about WriterGirl

Leadership Story Talks | Becoming AI Literate Citizens in a Global World with Melissa Drew

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0700

“In order for us to be AI literate, we have to be aware of what and how much data we're creating. We have to understand when and how our personal data is being stored, shared, deleted, and sold to a third party. An AI literate citizen is someone who can feel confident that they understand how the data is being used in the products and services that they consume and interact with”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Melissa Drew, the founder of Simply Transformed, a company which guides digital transformation initiatives to leverage data strategies and AI technologies. She is also a founding member and committee chair for Women Leaders In Data & AI, TEDx speaker and thought leader. They talk about how being the only woman in the room led her to become a champion for women in the area of digital transformation before diving into what it means for people to become global AI literate citizens. She talks about how many Americans don’t realize they interact with AI daily and have been doing so for years, how ChatGPT only brought a certain type of AI to the forefront, and what it would take to make people aware of all the forms AI comes in and how it influences their day-to-day lives.

They end the episode with a powerful personal story that will remind you of the strength in reinventing yourself and the power of having a personal advisory council filled with people who can provide you with different perspectives as you move through life.

Notes

* Find Melissa Drew on LinkedIn

* Learn more about Narativ here

Leadership Story Talks | Data, Stories & Systemic Changes in Financial Health with Matt Bahl

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0700

“How do we get employers to say that their workers are not risks to be managed but humans worthy of investment and dignity? That is a fundamental shift in the way that benefits are designed and oriented in a lot of contexts.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to their first returning guest! Matt Bahl is the Vice President of Market Lead Workplace Financial Health at the Financial Health Network. In his role, Matt leads the development of new capabilities, strategies, and partnerships to help employers achieve their financial health goals, and he is a nationally recognized thought leader on workplace financial wellness. They talk about his deep commitment to ensuring that work is better for more people by helping to change the mental models and shape the systems that are essential to moving forward financial health. He talks about the status quo surrounding financial health and how the development of the economy, the job market, and our higher education system over the past few years has helped people reframe how we think about work and financial health. The impactful stories that help bring the data to life and help executives step out of their bubbles are also topics of discussion and Matt also tells a couple of those stories.

Tune in for an inspiring interview full of data on financial health and the current market combined with impactful stories of how financial health can be improved, both at a small and larger scale, to make work life better for everyone.

Notes

*Watch the Frontline Worker Perspective

*Learn more about the 20th anniversary conference EMERGE 2024 as a way to connect and support the finhealth movement

*Learn more about Ownership Works

*Read about the Worker Financial Wellness Initiative, the Financial Health Network’s partnership with PayPal, JUST Capital, and the Good Jobs Institute that focuses on measuring the financial health of workforces, and includes outcomes and impact stories

* Take a look at PayPal Financial Diaries, which outlines PayPal's journey and includes stories from frontline workers

* Hea

Leadership Story Talks | Creating Human Connection in Healthcare & Beyond with Derek McCracken

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0700

“Every conversation is a fresh performance. And even though we have skill sets we're bringing forward, that person is listening to this for the first time, and they are a new audience, and we have to meet them where they are.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Derek McCracken, a New York-based health equity activist who teaches narrative medicine, pedagogy and applied writing for Columbia School of Professional Studies and serves on the board of Say Ah!, which is a health literacy nonprofit agency. They talk about the importance of narratives to build relationships, within healthcare and beyond, improve health literacy and health equity, and create the connections needed for effective advocacy. After this, they look at narratives in a broader light, talking about the healing power of seeing your life as a big narrative, the power stories have to break through hierarchies, and how storytelling can help people realize that whatever they are going through, whether it be health or career challenges, they are not the only ones and they are not alone.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the connection between storytelling and health literacy, greeting cards and health advocacy, and listening and health equity, among many other things.

Notes

Click here for free narrative medicine sessions

Click here for more information about Say Ah!’s work on health literary

Leadership Story Talks | Setting Intentions

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 10:00:00 -0700

“What is your story right now? What's your story going to be for this year and beyond? January is always that month when you have an opportunity to sort of pause for just a minute and look at what's ahead and how you want to be.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk about setting intentions. They explain the difference between resolutions, goals, and intentions, and Jerome tells Julienne more about his intention for this year, which is to seek opportunities to grow and choose to see even the hard things as an opportunity. They talk about moments in their lives where they could do something against all odds, how these moments help reground them when things get tough by showing them that they always have a choice, and how finding small common experiences helps connect people.

This episode will inspire you to take a step back, set intentions for the new year, and rethink the stories you’ve been telling yourself about yourself.

Notes

Leadership Story Talks | How to Access Authenticity with Hava Horowitz

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0700

“I'm thinking of authenticity on a moment-to-moment basis, in a threefold way: one, can I locate what feels true for me in this moment? This is that self-inventory piece. Two: Can I express what feels true for me in this moment? That's the communication piece. And, three, can I read the needs of the moment? Can I read my audience? Can I read my environment and adapt to that? Because your authenticity changes in response to your environment.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Hava Horowitz, a transformational coach and facilitator who helps entrepreneurs, leaders, and individuals develop an authentic presence from the inside out. She combines communication best practices, acting techniques, and personal growth in her work as she delivers programs on storytelling, presence, conflict management, and authentic relationships for global leaders and teams.

They discussed their various definitions of authenticity and the access points you have at your disposal to experiment with finding your edge. There’s a lot of talk of bringing one’s whole self to work, but what does that mean exactly? They arrive at an understanding that self-awareness is key to figuring out what to bring at what moment and for whom.

Jerome shares his story of being a DJ by night and a banker by day when he came out of business school and worked in Hong Kong for 5 years, and what was detrimental about not sharing the multitudes that he contains. Hava shares her stories of supporting clients in finding their edge, through an example that evokes the mind-body connection.

Finally, Hava shared an experience that shaped who she is today, by relating a story about her father who used his profession as a dentist to regale his clients with comedy (he was a part-time comedian…)

All in all, a great way to start the year with inspiration, mindfulness and practical tips to make 2024 the YOU year!

Don’t forget to enroll in our new “Leading with Story” workshop starting in February. See episode notes for the link.

Notes

Enroll in the Lead With Story workshop and learn more here.

Learn more about Narativ here

Learn more about Hava Horowitz and her coaching method here.

Join Hava’s email list here to learn more about her Speak Truth program here.

Leadership Story Talks | Failing Forwards

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0700

“We don't have control. We can only have control of what we're doing and how we're reacting, and appreciating how the other people might be watching this situation and seeing how we can pivot and shift.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on the episode they did recently with C.M. Conway, a filmmaker who made a movie called “How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood”. Julienne tells Jerome about a time when she had to give a big keynote speech, but then, out of nowhere, she suddenly also had to facilitate a panel discussion, and then the panelists went rogue. They reflect on her experience and, more broadly, on what to do when things don’t go according to plan. They tie this to the importance of being able to listen, be present and approach the situation with a sense of humor, and not seeing the situation as a failure but as a moment to learn.

Listen to this episode for reflections on adapting to unexpected situations in the moment (without reacting), turning (perceived) failure into valuable lessons, and the importance of humor in all those situations.

Notes

Listen to the episode with C.M. Conway here

Learn more about Narativ here

Leadership Story Talks | Embracing Humanity in Storytelling and Leadership with Elena Valentine

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0700

“I'd like to think that the stories that we tell on behalf of our clients are helping them remember their why, their reason for being, and why they exist today.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Elena Valentine. She is the co-founder and executive director of Skillscout, a creative studio dedicated to transforming brand stories into compelling visuals that inspire action and belief. She tells Jerome and Julienne about how her business started with the premise that ‘you cannot be what you cannot see’, and how that has influenced her work ever since. They talk about the power of video and storytelling to bring jobs and company culture to life and the most important moments during production of a video: making the people in it feel seen, heard, validated, and celebrated. This leads them to the importance of listening and storytelling in leadership and showing your humanity.

Listen to this episode to hear more about story collection and storytelling for video production and to witness some beautiful examples of leaders expressing their humanity.

Notes

Find Skilllscout at skillscout.com or on Instagram

Find Elena on LinkedIn

Learn more about Narativ

Leadership Story Talks | Why Story? Why Now?

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0700

“Even if you've told a story a thousand times to different audiences, every time you're going to tell that story to a new audience in a new location, in a new venue, or at a new time, you still have to ask yourself that question. Because once you answer that question anew every time, you are going to show up in a very different way.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect on the last episodes and discuss the importance of asking the question “why story, why now?”. Even if you’ve told a story a thousand times to different audiences, asking that question will help you show up differently, and, most importantly, will ensure that you connect with the audience. Jerome tells the story of a client he recently helped to prepare an important presentation and how digging deep to find the ‘why’ of the story and the ‘why now’ yielded surprising answers that not only helped him to give a successful speech, but that he was able to carry forward in his other pitches as well.

Listen to this episode to learn more about step one of the Narativ storytelling method and how to ask the question “why story, why now?” in order to better connect with yourself and your audience.

Leadership Story Talks | Bringing the Human Edge with Lisa Danels

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0700

“If each one of us is aligned in that space where we have access to our heart, head, and gut, we have an incredible capacity within ourselves and our organizations. We create more capacity than we could possibly ever use to solve the problems that are in front of us.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Lisa Danels. She is the founder and executive director of Human Edge, author of “The Human Edge Advantage: Mastering the Art of Being All In” and senior executive talent and leadership consultant and coach. Lisa focuses on developing mindful and purpose-driven leaders, and in this episode, she tells Jerome and Julienne what led her to write her book and how she helps leaders bring their full self to work. She talks about the importance of looking at and knowing yourself and having the ability to be honest with yourself before being able to lead others and be honest with them too. They also discuss the importance of community, co-creation, and dialogue in an increasingly complex (business) environment.

Listen to this inspiring episode to hear more about the creation of truly shared leadership and creativity, the role of storytelling in that, and the importance of tapping into your heart, head, and intuition.

Notes

Buy “The Human Edge Advantage: Mastering the Art of Being All In” by Lisa Danels here

Learn more about Lisa Danels and her work on her website and her Instagram

Leadership Story Talks | Finding The Funny (& more) After Failure with C.M. Conway

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0600

“Once you get past the emotional reaction, what is this failure telling me? Is it telling me to stop? Is it telling me to persevere? Is it not the right time, or do I need to dig a little deeper, and do I maybe need to find another way? Do I need to find another day?”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk with C.M. Conway, a filmmaker, marketing, and storytelling consultant and coach. Her diverse, inspiring film “How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood'' became the little indie that could and is now available in a top streaming giant. She has been featured in numerous media outlets and is dedicated to uplifting the stories of minorities while unearthing unique stories of women, marginalized cultures and communities.

They talk about what led her to make her movie about failure in Hollywood, how she found the lens of humor to repurpose failure, and what failure can teach us if we’re willing to face it. C.M. teaches us the process of turning failure into something extraordinary- from feeling the feelings to taking the first small step and setting goals to turn (new) dreams into reality.

Make sure not to miss this episode, as you’ll walk away inspired and with a process to start working through failure and realize your dreams!

Notes

View the heartfelt "How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood" film and contact C.M. Conway for a storytelling, film or marketing consultation here: https://FunnyFailureFilm.com
View film's trailer: https://youtu.be/HwzEuxuh6i8
View film's music video “My Best Friend”: https://youtu.be/kJHUOqufykw
Join the fun in failure movement on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
Listen to slip-ups, insights gained and learn how to submit your story for the How to Successfully Fail in Hollywood podcast

Leadership Story Talks | Navigating Change & Emotion with Intention

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 14:00:00 -0600

“Almost on a day-to-day basis, you hear things that you really do not believe in. It pushes your buttons, makes you angry, sad, upset, whatever it might be. It provokes a reaction, and the question is, what do you do with that?”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk about a recent experience Julienne had that led her to reflect on the importance of taking a pause, and making sure that you deal with emotions like anger, rather than brushing over them and moving forward. They then reflect more broadly on the trends they are seeing in their work with clients, one of which is that layoffs are increasing. How to deal with that emotionally and not just practically? How do you show up for yourself, and for others? And if you’re a leader in an organization that is laying people off, how should you navigate that and what is the impact on the relationship that the remaining employees have with the organization?

Listen to this episode to learn about the steps you can take to gracefully move through the ups and downs of (work)life, and help others do the same.

Notes

Buy Julienne’s book here

Leadership Story Talks | Learning to Be Authentic with Ehsan Fahmi

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0600

“There are all these different types of people that I've coached: men, women, executives, graduates, it doesn't matter. They all have the same challenge, and that challenge is how do I just be more myself in my job? It's literally this, and it all stems from the same cause, but it translates in different stories.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk with Ehsan Fahmi, Client Success Director and the Talent Enterprise. She is an expert in talent management, talent assessment, and customer success and is passionate about creating spaces where people can simply be. For Ehsan, impact stems from being a little bit more yourself everyday, as it’s not the titles that matter but the people behind the titles.

She tells Jerome and Julienne about how The Bold and the Beautiful drew her to the field of psychology when she was very young and how a layoff followed by a new job in a toxic work environment pushed her to set PR aside and pursue the career in psychology that she initially dreamed of. They discuss the importance of kindness, self-awareness, and positive assumptions in the boardroom and beyond. They discuss how titles get in the way of listening and people being authentic, two key ingredients for people to feel good and positively contribute to company culture.

Listen to this episode to learn more about how learning to become more authentic can drastically improve impact.

Notes

Learn more about Ehsan Fahmi here

Leadership Story Talks | Data-Based DEI with Miranda McKie

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 12:00:00 -0600

“You would go into these leadership meetings and for everything else it would be “okay, let me see the financials, let me see the numbers associated with it”. But diversity, equity, and inclusion was, “how do you feel”, right? And it would be, “how do you feel”, because we talked to maybe the five people of color at our organization, and that's how they feel.”

In this episode, Julienne and Jerome talk to Miranda McKie, founder and CEO of McKie consultants. She has a proven track record of utilizing data-driven techniques to identify and mitigate systemic institutional barriers that impact underrepresented groups. She has received many recognitions for her work, including the 2020 Catalyst Canada Emerging Leader Award. Most recently, she was featured as one of the Silicon Review’s top 50 leading companies in 2023.

Miranda tells Julienne and Jerome about leveraging data to truly move DEI objectives forward and create meaningful change. We use data to understand every other part of business, so why not its people? They talk about the importance of having DEI business objectives and accountability at the organizational level, the purpose of storytelling to help understand and validate the data, and the necessity of carefully thinking about the timeframes for DEI objectives. Miranda also talks about how her own experiences as one of the few women in her field helped shape her career and her data-driven approach to DEI.

Notes

Buy ‘The Colour of Democracy: Racism in Canadian Society’ by Frances Henry here

Do the Harvard Implicit Bias test here

Learn more about Miranda McKie and her work here

Leadership Story Talks | with Heather Hansen

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0600

“We need to start inviting everyone to the table if we want to have innovation and growth, because we're losing half our talent here or more because we're hugely outnumbered as native English speakers. The fact that we have this immediate power and dominance in the world due to our eloquence in English, I see as a massive inequality.”

In this fascinating episode, Jerome and Julienne talk about linguistic bias with Heather Hansen. She is on a mission to empower global voices to contribute to conversations that matter, and in her latest book, ‘Unmuted’, she outlines a framework for successful global communication in multinational companies. Her TEDx talk ‘2 Billion Voices, how to Speak Bad English Perfectly’ has had over 200K views. In this episode, she tells Jerome and Julienne about her career and how a much more holistic view of how communication works (hint: grammar mistakes are usually not the problem!) can impact the culture in an organization.

Even today, the concept of accent bias is still relatively unknown. Heather tells us about the client who made her realize that accents are not the real problem and how this realization changed the course of her career. She questions why certain people speak up, and others have been muted way before that was a term we all became so familiar with, and explains how people can become ‘unmuted’.

Listen to this episode to learn about accent bias, a new and often overlooked aspect of DEI, and how paying attention to this can improve company culture.

Notes:

Listen to Heather Hansen’s TEDx Talk ‘2 Billion Voices: How to speak bad English perfectly’

Buy Heather Hansen’s book “Unmuted: Unmuted: How to Show Up, Speak Up, and Inspire Action” here

Go here for more information on the assessment, the book and more

Listen to Heather Hansen on NPR’s podcast ‘Rough Translation’

Leadership Story Talks | Season Two

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0600

Welcome to a new season of Leadership Story Talks!

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne kick off the new season and introduce the theme for this month: culture. How does an organizational culture shift in the face of the increasingly uncertain world that we’re in? What are the values that drive an organization, and individual people, and what happens to them in the face of change?

Jerome and Jules have a classic back-to-school conversation as they look back at what they did during the summer and look ahead to all the learning that’s to come. They talk about the culture work they did with clients over the last few months and take a sneak peek at the episodes ahead.

Stay tuned for the next episodes, which will focus on DEI through unique lenses: looking at measurements and how data can drive a storyline and support it, and looking at the language in a language and how it informs our listening.

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | Leaders Listen

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 08:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on April 24th 2023.

For this podcast series, Jerome and Julienne have been talking to many people about leadership. In this episode, they look back at the conversations they’ve had, talk about the things many of these leaders had in common, and share what they have learned so far.

They talk about being anchored in your values, the ability to delegate but also go deep on something when needed, and the importance of collaboration and diversity of thought. The idea of collaboration leads them to the idea that it is essential to recognize when you need to reach out for help and have the courage to go out and do that.

They conclude that the number one thing leaders, and people in general, can do now is listen. You can’t have a story without listening, and you don’t know what people value and need if you don’t listen.

This episode will give you a quick overview of the leadership skills that are essential to navigate the world as it is today.

Notes

For more information about upcoming workshops, and to register, please click here.

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | From Athlete to CEO with Niall Dunne

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 06:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on January 23rd 2023

Julienne and Jerome speak to Niall Dunne, CEO of Polymateria, a company that is working on solving the enormous, worldwide problem of plastic pollutants.
You’ll go on a fascinating journey as Niall tells us about how he started as a track and field athlete, met with Julienne’s husband and fellow Irishman, Joe Ryan, who was a coach at Manhattan College in the Bronx, New York. Niall ended up representing Ireland in the 800m run.
From there, Niall encountered a few angels that looked over him as he struggled with a potentially career ending injury, and then went on to work with some of the biggest companies (Accenture, BT, Saatchi & Saatchi) as a sustainability officer, moving the needle to reduce their carbon footprint.
In 2018, he met the founders of Polymateria and he decided to apply his athlete’s single minded purpose to the problem of plastic pollutants.
He tells us about the principles of integrity, trust and performance that have allowed his company to sustain the attacks of the behemoths of the industry his company is disrupting, and how he’s managed to steer the company to growth against all odds.
This all comes to life when Niall tells us about how an employee made a decision to tell a group of investors to leave their coffee at the door when visiting a lab, and what Niall learned from that.
Finally, when Niall gets personal about an experience he had in New York City, thinking he’d never be able to run again, Julienne and Jerome have to fight back tears, and take away wonderful lessons to inspire you to rise to whatever challenges come your way!
This is a MUST LISTEN!

Links and resources:
Polymateria website
Niall Dunne’s linkedin
Lifecycle which chronicles the movement to end plastic pollution
Tim Brown, co-founder and CEO of Allbirds on the Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcast Series

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | Measuring Justice with Amy Bach

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on March 27th 2023

Julienne and Jerome speak with Amy Bach, founder and CEO of Measures for Justice, a criminal justice nonprofit that develops data tools and services that help communities, including the institutions that serve them, reshape the system.

A journalism fellowship led to a book idea, the book led to an idea for an organization, and now that organization (60+ employees and growing) is reshaping the justice system. In this episode, Amy talks us through some of the most crucial turning points along this journey and the power of the stories, and the people and relationships, that helped shape them. She tells the story that helped bring the organization to life and explains how the opposition her new organization encountered made them realize that they were really onto something: what started as a research organization in startup mode became a tech/product organization with established (people) operations processes.

Amy was ahead of the curve in recognizing systemic injustices within the criminal justice system and as the world changed, so did the organization and Amy as a leader. She tells us about the lessons she learned along the way, including the importance of diversity of thought, doing the work and making that consistent, and forging connections. Finally, she points out how in many ways, the process of raising children is very similar to the process of building an organization.

This episode is filled with thoughtful reflections, examples of small conversations of connection, and well-told stories. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in the process of building a disruptive organization within well-established systems- from the use of storytelling to make data come to life to the transition out of startup mode, this episode has it all.

You’ll also hear about our latest online workshop offering “Leading with story”, which you can find out more about here. It’s a great opportunity to learn to tell and practice presenting your own leadership story, just like Amy did!

Links and resources:
Website Measures for Justice
Amy Bach’s LinkedIn

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | Learning to Keep Your Mouth Shut with Dan Lyons

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on March 20th 2023

What do Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Tim Cook, Barack Obama, Richard Branson, and Larry King have in common? They are great listeners and know when to stop talking.

In this episode Julienne and Jerome talk to Dan Lyons, New York Times bestselling author, screenwriter and journalist, about the power of talking less and listening more. Dan recently published ‘STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in an Endlessly Noisy World’, a book he decided to write after realizing that his work to become a better listener was much bigger than himself.

This episode dives deeper into how talking and listening shape not only our private relationships, but also leadership, business, social media and society at large. Dan talks about the science of how we relate to silence and why we often decide to talk rather than listen (and sometimes regret this). Although our world often encourages talking rather than silence and celebrates great talkers, Dan argues that listening more will really make your life better. And as organizations try to reconnect and rebuild post-covid and customer feedback is becoming increasingly important, learning how to listen is also more essential than ever.

Dan leaves us with a couple of great ideas on becoming better at being silent and listening and shows us that some of the most successful people, both in business and public service, are humble and quiet listeners.

If you ever think ‘wow I really shouldn’t have said that’, or if you want to find out what is going on in your company, this episode is for you.

Notes:

Learn more about Dan Lyons
Buy ‘STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in an Endlessly Noisy World’
This is the study that shows how ‘Likes’ and ‘shares’ teach people to express more outrage online

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | Live Storytelling Coaching with Anna Vafeiadou

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on December 13th 2022.

Julienne and Jerome discuss how storytelling has enhanced their guest’s presentation and leadership skills. Anna Vafeiadou is responsible for the legal sector of the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) in Greece.
As she had been increasingly asked to represent the work of the WWF through public speaking, she decided to enroll into a leadership development course at the MAVA foundation.
She then worked with Jerome on her story to include into her presentations for a variety of stakeholders.
In this episode, Anna shares her story, which starts in her childhood and spans in less than 5 minutes, her journey to where she is today at the WWF.
Julienne and Jerome then deconstruct her story, and ask Anna what she got out of telling her story, and what the process revealed to her.
If you’ve always wondered about the methodology behind the company, Narativ, this is a perfect opportunity to learn, and to find out how you can become a better storyteller in business.

Resources:
Foundation where Anna developed her leadership skills: MAVA
WWF website
Anna’s profile on LinkedIn

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | Our Origin Story

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on October 25th 2022.

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect back on their meeting.
Julienne had reached out to Jerome and members of the Narativ team, that led to a meeting in person (pre-pandemic).
During that first meeting, Julienne noticed that the Narativ team members were walking their talk, meaning they were listening and giving space to Julienne to speak.
A dialogue ensued that mirrored the process that Julienne had seen glimpses of on the Narativ web site, materials and a phone call she’d had with members of the team before that first meeting in person.
How do you create a space for listening when interviewing candidates or even new clients? What about onboarding? What impression are you giving? Are you walking the talk? What do your surroundings look like? Are they inviting? Are they conducive to productive creativity?
What tone are you setting?
These are all the questions we answer and that listeners can learn practical tips from in the first half of the episode.
The second half of the episode focuses on Jerome’s story and how he came to be the CEO of Narativ, and what had led to a drastic change in his career.
For those of you who are at a crossroads and looking for the next step in your careers, there’s more to be learned from that part of the episode.

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | Socratic Dialogue with Sira Abenoza

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on April 11th 2022.

In this episode Jerome and Julienne talk with Sira Abenoza, a professor at ESADE business and law schools in Barcelona, Spain.
She created the Institute for Socratic Dialogue to create conversations between people who sometimes have diametrically opposing points of view.

We discussed Sira’s experience working with inmates, as well as with factions from both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The methods of Socratic Dialogue managed to create connection where there seemingly was none at all.

Sira believes that every person deserves to be heard, no matter their politics or beliefs. In this increasingly polarized world, where opinions generate conflict, the methods she employs bridge divides and bring to the surface the stories that unite us all.

Listeners will hear practical examples as well as tools they can use themselves to create spaces in which they can bring people together in their work place, simply by listening and encouraging dialogue.

WATCH Sira’s TEDx Talk here

REPLAY ~ Leadership Story Talks | Making The Workplace Work Better for Working People with Matt Bahl

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 08:00:00 -0600

This is a replay of a Leadership Story Talks podcast that originally posted on December 8th 2021.

Jerome and Julienne talk with Matt Bahl – VP and head of workplace financial health, Financial Health Network.

In this episode of Story Talks we discover:

How do we make people’s lives better by improving their financial resilience?
That salaries are not determinative of financial health.
How can we make workplace work better for working people?
Matt talks about how the catalytic moment for him was when he told the story of his father at a summit on financial wellness and how that story led him to a positive career move and how it’s been influencing the audiences he talks to.
The generational differences with regards to finance and work are vast.
Filling the gap between the values companies state and the actions they take: The void is vast and Matt’s work is to better align those, and deliver solutions to the real problems workers face.
The difference between moral injury and burnout, and how new generations are feeling this in the workplace right now.
Employers need to do a lot more than just helping employees to save for retirement, like paying down debt and solving credit issues.
The three best practices that companies can implement right now to improve their employees’ financial health in their work place.
Data without storytelling is as useless as storytelling is without data. You must humanize the data for it to be effective, and the story is how you engage people because it has a human component that the data lacks.
We need stories of every day average working people in order to get messages through and affect change: How do we make the unremarkable feel remarkable?
Learn about Matt’s favorite inspirational stories and how he uses them for impact.
Our best practices and take away’s from our conversation.

LINKS:
Financial health network: finhealthnetwork.org – building an ecosystem for making financial health a reality for everyone.

Lila’s cupcakes :

Leadership Story Talks | Looking Back and Looking Forward

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:00:00 -0600

It’s the last episode of the season! Jerome and Julienne take a moment to reflect on what they’ve learned from all the inspiring guests they had the privilege to talk to this season and how they can take that forward in their work. They discuss the novel perspectives on DEI and the importance of not only looking at issues through one lens and paying attention to how we show up.

Jerome and Jules also provide a sneak peek into what is to come next season, including a thought leader in tech and someone who advocates for the inclusion of language in how we look at DEI, and a new online workshop series to help you craft your story.

Leadership Story Talks | The Portfolio Life with Christina Wallace

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 06:00:00 -0600

Are you interested in many different things, and if so, have you permitted yourself to be all of who you are? How do you build a (professional) life that allows you to be many things at the same time?

In this episode, Julienne and Jerome talk to Christina Wallace, a self-described human Venn diagram who has crafted a career at the intersection of business, technology, and the arts, teaches at Harvard Business School, and has recently published her book “The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger than Your Business Card”. Christina talks about her career path, which has been multidisciplinary and full of zigzags, and the models she has created to make that life work for her. She talks about the importance of allowing yourself to be different things, changing your path forward if something doesn’t work, and the two reasons why failure is so important. Christina also explains how applying business models to life can be tremendously helpful and can help you prevent burnout.

Listen to this inspiring episode to learn more about how Christina, a serial entrepreneur, has shaped her own life and what you can do to change yours and embrace your full potential.

Notes

Buy Christina Wallace’s “The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger than Your Business Card” here.

Find “How Will You Measure Your Life?” by Clayton M. Christensen here

Find “The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower” by Morra Aarons-Mele here

Learn more about the Narativ online workshop series here

Leadership Story Talks | Organizational Culture with Pernilla Rorso

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0600

“People have their personalities, there’s professional culture and there’s an organizational culture. Everything plays a role, but you can say national culture runs the deepest and it’s more or less in place by the age of 10. So it really runs deep.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Pernilla Rorso, who specializes in national and organizational culture from a performance perspective. She is the managing director of the Copenhagen office and senior business consultant at Hofstede Insights, and is a PhD fellow. She talks about how we can quantitatively measure national culture using six dimensions and how national culture in the collective programming of humans is stronger than any other programming. National culture is a strong determinant of how people will come into an organization and organizational culture, and Pernilla talks about what this means for multicultural teams and organizations.

Listen to this episode to learn more about cultural values, organizational practices, and how to ensure that organizational culture supports organizational strategy, regardless of the (national) environment.

Notes

Find Pernilla Rorso on LinkedIn

More information about Hofstede Insights

Leadership Story Talks | Everyday Leadership with Ash Beckham

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0600

“Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you can lead right now. It’s not just when you open your laptop or walk in the door at work. It’s a lifestyle.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Ash Beckham, an inclusion activist whose TEDx talk ‘Coming Out of Your Closet’ became a viral sensation and author of the book ‘Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader’. Ash talks about a key experience that shaped who she is today and her mission to provide people with the tools they need to become a leader and to decide when to do so, rather than letting someone else or something external decide that for them. She argues that there is no leadership without empathy and that practicing empathy daily is the most important thing to do if you want to lead and be able to meet people where they are. They also talk about the bravery to be willing to have the hard conversations essential to creating truly diverse and inclusive communities, the need to show grace and keep your eyes on the prize, and the incremental steps that will get you there.

Listen to this episode to learn more about how to become a better leader with everyday practices and why it is essential to realize that sometimes all someone needs is a fact and a snack.

Notes
Ash's TEDx Talk

Leadership Story Talks | The Power of Saying No

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0600

Are you someone who prefers to say yes, or are you someone who likes to say no? And can you think of experiences where using the answer you usually default to might not have been productive or effective?

In this podcast, Jerome and Julienne talk about the power of saying no, the importance of listening to your internal dialogue, and the courage to follow through with whatever comes up, even when it might be uncomfortable. Jerome tells Julienne a personal story of a complicated and empowering situation in which he said no, using and showcasing the power of the Narativ storytelling method. He also tells the story of a former client who worked as an executive while also setting up his own business. His client soon realized that he would have to say no to something, and although it took him a while to figure out what his most powerful emotions were, he eventually did it.

Listen to this episode to learn more about the emotions underlying our responses, the dialogues and habits that inform decisions, and what you can do to make better choices.

Notes

Leadership Story Talks | The Greatest Song with Kevin Griffin

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 14:00:00 -0600

The music business is notoriously fickle, but some people, such as Kevin Griffin, manage to stay for a long time. What did he do that many of his peers didn’t? How did he manage to stay inspired and nimble?

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk with Kevin Griffin, an award-winning songwriter, producer, and performer whose songs have sold over 80 million copies and have been streamed over a billion times and the author of “The Greatest Song”. He walks them through his journey from writing his own hit songs to writing for others and, most recently, becoming a speaker and author in the business world. Along the way, he realized that there were certain principles and ways to conduct himself when collaborating, that he applied not only in his career in music, but also in business and in life. The most important principle? Collaboration. But also how to work with people, how to check your ego, how to continue growing, how to listen, how to not micromanage, how to leave your comfort zone, how to dare to be stupid, and how to bring personal stories to the workplace.

Listen to this fascinating episode about how the truths in collaborating with people in music and staying inspired are the same in completely non-musical endeavors in business, and pick up some of those truths along the way.

Notes

Buy Kevin Griffin’s book “The Greatest Song” here

Listen to the five songs from the book here

Leadership Story Talks | Pay Attention to The Tension

Mon, 29 May 2023 09:00:00 -0600

In this episode, we explore the line between comfort and discomfort. Tension and ease.

When do we need to stretch ourselves and put ourselves in a “dis-comfort zone” in order to grow?

Julienne shares a recent experience of noticing the tension that she was feeling. Rather than trying to hide it away, she decided to explore its cause, and figure out the message this tension was giving her. This led her to be more present for the people she was working with.

We discuss the practice of identifying and releasing obstacles to listening that keep us from being fully present to ourselves and others. This is particularly helpful when you’re leading a group or team. Everyone is watching how you will respond to objections, and challenges from the group so you want to make sure your mind is as clear as possible so that you can be present and engage fully.

We talk about the value of restraint in conversation, in order to create an atmosphere of trust, where people will be more likely to share something more meaningful.

Jerome tells a story about having to let the former CEO of a major tech company know that his actions were an obstacle to listening while facilitating a team retreat. This led to a breakthrough within the team, and a lesson in leadership and engagement. All because Jerome noticed an area of tension and decided to examine it rather than wait for it to pass.

This episode is for everyone who’s ever had to be in a position of leadership where people are watching what your moves are and how you respond to specific situations. You will hear insights and practical tools that will engage you and the groups you lead in a new way.

Notes:

If you’re inspired by this episode, check out our 3-part online workshop series “Leading with Story”, starting in September. This is an opportunity to create your own engaging leadership story to advance your career, rally your team, pitch your mission and vision.

Leadership Story Talks | Listen Courageously with Julianna Tafur

Mon, 22 May 2023 08:00:00 -0600

“All it takes is one person's recognition of the other person's suffering, humanity and value for the other person to go ‘you see me, you truly see me, you get me’, and then the magic happens. People want to be seen and heard.”

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk with Juliana Tafur, an Emmy-nominated TV producer and the Listen Courageously movement and workshop series creator. Juliana's mission is to counteract “other-ing” by fostering understanding and connection among diverse individuals, which she does by organizing workshops designed to create a safe and open space for participants to share their stories and listen to others without judgment. The ultimate goal is to foster empathy, respect, and the willingness to engage in dialogue, creating a foundation for meaningful relationships and positive social and political change.

Juliana talks about her family’s move from Colombia to the US, her journey from a TV producer to the founder of Listen Courageously, and how her film ‘Listen’, which was born after the US elections in 2016, serves as a catalyst to help people recognize their listening blocks and engage in difficult conversations. She tells Jerome and Julienne about what happens in these conversations and how the willingness to show vulnerability and go to an uncomfortable place, especially when part of a privileged group, allows people to find common experiences and true connection. Even when they fundamentally disagree about topics like abortion and gun control.

Don't miss this incredible story of empathy, respect, and the transformative power of listening and let this episode inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and connect across differences.

Notes

Find out more about Listen Courageously at listencourageously.org, or on social media @listen.courageously.

Learn about Story Powerhouse at story-powerhouse.com

Leadership Story Talks | What It Means to be a Man

Mon, 15 May 2023 08:00:00 -0600

How do stereotypes affect leadership? How can we empower people, and men in particular, to question those stereotypes, take control of their identity and be a better version of themselves?

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk about the growing movement trying to change the traditional idea of what it means to be a man. They talk about how stereotypes are passed along through generations and internalized by individuals and how these ideas about who we’re supposed to be impact connection and communication. Jerome and Julienne share some of their experiences with environments that empower men to help them break those cycles, showing that support systems and safe spaces allow men to be vulnerable, truly challenge these stereotypes and become the version of themselves that they want to be.

Listen to this episode to learn more about how the tradition of the strong, controlling, and stoic male leader is being questioned by men themselves and how you can create an environment that will allow for healing and transformation.

Leadership Story Talks | Alexandre Seiler

Mon, 08 May 2023 06:00:00 -0600

“People want choice, optionality, and flexibility. They don’t want to be told what to do.”

In this episode, Julienne and Jerome sit down with Alex Seiler, a global people leader with over 15 years of experience transforming people functions and putting talent first at WeWork, Blue Shield of California, NBCUniversal, and Citi. He currently serves as Chief People Officer at GHJ and under his leadership, GHJ recently won the Transform “2023 People Activator: Employee Experience of the Year Award.”

They talk about the importance of accountability, psychological safety and making sure your values align with the values of your employer, the difference between facetime and in-person connectivity, how providing people with things they may need to stay physically and mentally healthy has become even more critical in today’s dispersed workforce, and many other things.

In one of many highlights in this episode, Alex shares a personal story about how feedback that he first perceived as negative ended up guiding his career. Alex doesn’t shy away from conveying his own experiences with mental health issues and why employee wellbeing has become such an important value in his own work.

Alex’ professional and personal stories contain a multitude of practical and tangible takeaways and whether you work in people operations or not, this episode is guaranteed to leave you with at least a couple new ideas for you to apply in your personal and professional life.

NOTES

Follow Alex on LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | Innovating For Diversity

Mon, 01 May 2023 06:00:00 -0600

Better product development, greater innovation, and better performance- many companies and people see the benefits of greater diversity. But what if we flip the script around and apply a lens of innovation to diversity rather than view diversity as just another checkbox?

This is one of the ideas that Bertina Ceccarelli and Susanne Tedrick, the two guests in this episode, talk about in their new book ‘Innovating for Diversity: Lessons from Top Companies Achieving Business Success through Inclusivity’. In this episode, Jerome and Julienne speak with them about approaches to DEI and the difference that changing from a compliance and check-the-box approach to an innovation approach can make. By applying principles of innovation to DEI objectives, these objectives not only become an integral part of business, but conversations about DEI also get easier since there is a language that people can connect with in a way that perhaps they couldn't with the language that was used previously. They also talk about the importance of change starting at the top, having buy-in from middle managers, and the need for a willingness to take risks.

Let our guests, and the stories they tell, inspire you to look at DEI from a different perspective and help you discover how you can build sustainable and effective DEI initiatives and drive change in your organization.

Notes

Buy ‘Innovating for Diversity: Lessons from Top Companies Achieving Business Success through Inclusivity’ by Bertina Ceccarelli and Susanne Tedrick here

Leadership Story Talks | LEADERS LISTEN

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0600

For this podcast series, Jerome and Julienne have been talking to many people about leadership. In this episode, they look back at the conversations they’ve had, talk about the things many of these leaders had in common, and share what they have learned so far.

This episode will give you a quick overview of the leadership skills that are essential to navigate the world as it is today.

Notes

The workshops will take place April 27th, May 4th, and May 11th from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST. For more information, and to register, please click here.

Leadership Story Talks | Curtis Bateman Author of Change: How To Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 18:00:00 -0600

Change is often challenging, both for individuals and organizations. Why do we so often push back? And how can leaders help people through change?

In this episode, Jerome and Jullienne talk to Curtis Bateman, an internationally recognized presenter, content developer, change consultant, business leader, coach and author of ‘Change: How to Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity.’

Curtis explains why people so often oppose change, and how the starting point of change often determines whether people are excited to move through change. He argues that change is primarily a human endeavor rather than merely a process or workflow, and leaders are better positioned to help people move through the change and be successful if they have the right tools. This applies whether change starts with leadership or from the bottom up. Curtis tells us more about those important tools and frameworks, which will help leaders guide people through change and improve the quality and the speed of that change.

They also talk about the importance of storytelling for leaders and the similarities between the change model and the pattern of storytelling that led Curtis to use Harry Potter to illustrate the change model in his book.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about navigating both personal and organizational change and the importance of having curiosity and empathy throughout the process.

Notes

Learn more about Curtis Bateman

(Pre)order the book here

Leadership Story Talks | Upcoming Workshop & What To Expect

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0600

The world we live in is volatile and filled with uncertainty. How do you navigate that as a leader? How do you know where to go next, and how do you communicate those decisions to others?

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne tell us more about the upcoming online leadership workshop. In this workshop, which will consist of three one-hour sessions over a period of three weeks, you will get to learn and uncover what your values are and how to tell a story to bring those values to life. Having this leadership story will enable you to go back to your core values in times of uncertainty and to tell stories that reflect those values so that others can understand how they themselves can act in the face of uncertainty.

As we’ve heard time and again in this podcast series, when you tell a story that comes from a value that genuinely drives you, then it will come across as authentic, and people will not think you are trying to sell something or convince them about something. Instead, they will feel touched or maybe even inspired.

Listen to this episode to learn more about how this workshop can help you become a more effective leader by becoming a better storyteller.

Notes

The workshops will take place April 27th, May 4th, and May 11th from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST. For more information, and to register, please click here.

All of our podcasts contain great examples of effective and inspiring leadership stories, but a good place to start would be our conversations with Anna Vafeiadou and Amy Bach.

Leadership Story Talks | Jerome Deroy & Julienne B Ryan

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 23:00:00 -0600

What happens when we’re late?
What do we do when we’re late, and what do we do when we’re the ones waiting?

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne find themselves in an unexpected situation, but they decide to stay positive and use it to their advantage. They talk about choosing to shift the energy when something unexpected happens, using what’s going on in the moment and the grace in being reality-based and giving a person the chance to show up as they are.

Listen to this episode to get some great advice on shifting the energy when something unexpected happens and for a poignant reminder to assume good when you can.

Notes:

Find Julienne’s book here

Leadership Story Talks | Measuring Justice with Amy Bach

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0600

Julienne and Jerome speak with Amy Bach, founder and CEO of Measures for Justice, a criminal justice nonprofit that develops data tools and services that help communities, including the institutions that serve them, reshape the system.

This episode is filled with thoughtful reflections, examples of small conversations of connection, and well-told stories. It's a must-listen for anyone interested in the process of building a disruptive organization within well-established systems- from the use of storytelling to make data come to life to the transition out of startup mode, this episode has it all.

Links and resources:

Website Measures for Justice

Amy Bach’s LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | Learning to Keep Your Mouth Shut with Dan Lyons

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0600

What do Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Tim Cook, Barack Obama, Richard Branson, and Larry King have in common? They are great listeners and know when to stop talking.

If you ever think ‘wow I really shouldn’t have said that’, or if you want to find out what is going on in your company, this episode is for you.

Notes:

Leadership Story Talks | Dealing with Grief at Work

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0600

Sooner or later, we all go through it: grief and loss. How do we deal with grief and loss, in the workplace and beyond? How do we remember, or re-member, our loved ones and how do we help others when they are dealing with loss?

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk about grief and loss. They provide guidance for employers on how to help employees who are experiencing grief and loss and for those who are experiencing loss on how to communicate what they need. Jerome talks about how storytelling can help us when we are grieving, and Julienne tells us how you can help people experiencing loss by genuinely listening.

Grief and loss are common denominators, but every individual’s experience at any point in time is unique. This episode reminds us of the importance telling stories about our loved ones, asking people how we can help them, and asking for help when we need it.

Resources:
For more on re-membering, please refer to the works of Barbara Myerhoff.

Leadership Story Talks | Well-Being In The Workplace

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0700

How are you spending your time? Are you intentional about it and do you take your wellness into account, or do you put in time just for the sake of it? And if you do want to be intentional about it, how can you use the connection between your body and mind to find out how to improve your productivity and well-being?

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne discuss well-being in the workplace and how this relates to how we spend our time. They talk about a study that showed how a 4-day workweek might improve productivity and wellness, and Jerome talks about how his transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship changed his perspective on the value of (over)time and the value of mental and physical wellness.

It takes self-awareness to understand what you need, both to be productive and to be healthy. This episode provides inspiration on how to gain this awareness and highlights the practice of body mapping as a tool to become more aware of the signals our bodies give us. These signals, in turn, can help inform how we spend our time and how (or whether) we take our own well-being into account.

Resources:
For more on the 4-day work week experiment highlighted in the episode

Leadership Story Talks | Engaging people with Head of People Sasha Robinson

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 11:00:00 -0700

Jules and Jerome talk to Sasha Robinson, Head of People at Trainual, a company that codifies processes related to the people function of an enterprise, helping them to scale and grow, particularly around training and onboarding.
Sasha has grown teams everywhere she's been, always paying attention to engagement and the best ways to meet employees where they are.
This episode tracks Sasha's non-linear journey from working in a civil rights non profit organization to meeting someone who led her to her first role in the people function of a company.
On the way to Trainual, Sasha learned the best ways to engage people and help them grow and develop. She tells us about being an empath and how this has always been an asset for listening to people and understanding them, and how it's also led to burnout, especially during the pandemic as suddenly so many more people were coming to her with their struggles. This was something that many of her peers in the people function were feeling at the time.
Sasha learned how to depersonalize decisions in order to achieve a better balance in her work.
She tells us how engagement has changed since 2020, the importance of balancing employee surveys with personalized conversations, activities, and the balance between in-person face time and online meetings.
She also shares that storytelling has been instrumental in gaining a deeper understanding of where people are at, what they expect, and what they want or need.
She tells us a story about an experience that has shaped who she is today, harking back to when she was just a teenager. A powerful story in which Sasha isn't afraid to be vulnerable, a great example of the power of a story to connect and relate to someone on a human level.
If you're wondering how to scale the people function of your company, or if you're thinking about engagement strategies and tactics, this is a must-listen.

Notes:
Learn more about trainual
Connect with Sasha on LinkedIN

Leadership Story Talks | The Power of Mentorship with Garrett Richardson

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Garrett Richardson has had a sense of purpose ever since he did a summer internship at the Freedom School, mentoring young people in Newark to instill them a passion and enthusiasm for literacy.
Today, Garrett has leveraged all of his professional experiences to scale up mentorship as part of his work with Bloomberg Philanthropies in the city of London in particular.
In our interview with Garrett, we discuss his experiences and how mentoring became the through line in a career that has had many ups and downs including having to navigate being unemployed during the 2008 great recession.
Garrett never lost faith and always kept moving forward.
You'll hear how his values and purpose never wavered in the face of adversity, and how community has always been at the heart of his work and indeed his life, from a very young age.
His story of working on the Obama campaign of 2012 in Ohio, is a must-listen, as are all the other stories he graciously shared with us to convey his messages around leadership and the power of mentorship and giving back.

Links and resources:
Garrett's consultancy Bride the Gap
Garrett's linkedin profile
Bryan Stevenson's TED Talks: We need to talk about an injustice and The fight for civil rights and freedom featuring John Lewis
Bloomberg Philanthropies web site
For more on the Mentoring Improvement Plan of the City of London web site

Leadership Story Talks | Differentiate yourself through storytelling

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we discuss the current market conditions, and mixed messages headlines are giving us. Especially for people in tech, there's a lot of uncertainty and anxiety coming from layoff announcements and talk of a recession in general.
So what do we do in the face of that?
Jerome and Julienne discuss the effectiveness and value of storytelling to help differentiate yourself when you're seeking to express what your strengths are to a potential employer, or if you're assessing where you are in your career.
Whether you're telling yourself a story to identify what brings you joy and what you're wanting to do more of, or whether you're telling a story to an audience to persuade or convince them of your value, this episode will give you principles that you can immediately put into practice.
We also talk about the value of asking yourself the right questions, beginning with what kinds of questions you can ask yourself to elicit stories that will be relevant to your development and growth.
This episode is really our way of saying "We have your back!" no matter where you are in your career. This will make you think about your story(ies) in a new way, one that we hope will be very practical and actionable.

Leadership Story Talks | Storytelling in Healthcare

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:00:00 -0700

Julienne and Jerome discuss healthcare and how storytelling can improve dialogue between patients and doctors.

What they uncover in this episode is the importance of listening and how to improve it so that people who are often in a power deferential, or feel intimated by the medical field, can feel like they have a voice.

You'll hear about a recent client that Jerome worked with to support them in generating stories that would raise awareness, and change how community health centers are perceived by legislators but also by the people in the communities they serve.

You'll hear how values drive the stories that one can create and you'll hear the moving story of a gentleman who might have lost his leg if he had not found a doctor who finally took the time to listen.

You'll learn how you can use the lessons from this case to build a pitch, presentation or communication campaign, driven by values that are embodied in powerful and compelling human stories, no matter your field of expertise or industry.

Leadership Story Talks | From Athlete to CEO with Niall Dunne

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0700

Julienne and Jerome speak to Niall Dunne, CEO of Polymateria, a company that is working on solving the enormous, worldwide problem of plastic pollutants.

You'll go on a fascinating journey as Niall tells us about how he started as a track and field athlete, met with Julienne's husband and fellow Irishman, Joe Ryan, who was a coach at Manhattan College in the Bronx, New York. Niall ended up representing Ireland in the 800m run.

From there, Niall encountered a few angels that looked over him as he struggled with a potentially career ending injury, and then went on to work with some of the biggest companies (Accenture, BT, Saatchi & Saatchi) as a sustainability officer, moving the needle to reduce their carbon footprint.

In 2018, he met the founders of Polymateria and he decided to apply his athlete's single minded purpose to the problem of plastic pollutants.

He tells us about the principles of integrity, trust and performance that have allowed his company to sustain the attacks of the behemoths of the industry his company is disrupting, and how he's managed to steer the company to growth against all odds.

This all comes to life when Niall tells us about how an employee made a decision to tell a group of investors to leave their coffee at the door when visiting a lab, and what Niall learned from that.

Finally, when Niall gets personal about an experience he had in New York City, thinking he'd never be able to run again, Julienne and Jerome have to fight back tears, and take away wonderful lessons to inspire you to rise to whatever challenges come your way!

This is a MUST LISTEN!

Links and resources:

Polymateria website

Niall Dunne's linkedin

Lifecycle which chronicles the movement to end plastic pollution

Tim Brown, co-founder and CEO of Allbirds on the Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcast Series

Leadership Story Talks | Building A Better World of Work with Craig Forman

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:00:00 -0700

Julienne and Jerome were excited to discuss the science of people with Craig Forman, from Culture Amp, a company that is dedicated to improving employee engagement through tech and people. Craig's purpose is to "build a better world of work", through community building and technology in particular.

Craig discussed with us how he came to realize what needed to be fixed in the corporate world, working through adversity in his own life, starting with his parents' divorce, and then learning what could be better in the corporate world through both "really bad jobs, and really great ones."

Those experiences drove him to look at what made people happy in an organization, which led him to pursue and complete a master's degree in an organizational psychology program.

What he's been working on at Culture Amp is to create better workplaces at scale. Things are always more manageable with organizations of 20 or 30 people, but what about those with 500 or more? What falls through the cracks when an enterprise grows? What are the best practices that we know work in our lives, but are more difficult to put in place in organizations? How can technology help us?

You'll hear some real world examples of success stories from Craig, as well as some more personal experiences that informed his own sense of purpose.

You'll hear that purpose takes time to get defined, that it's worth going on a journey of self discovery, and that it's okay to take your time in figuring out your purpose, as long as you keep moving and learning. Inspiring stuff!

Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review. This helps us tremendously with word of mouth.

Links:

Culture Amp

Learn about the Culture Amp Community to see if you'd like to start your own chapter, go to wonderful events around the world, or find resources

Find Craig Forman on

Leadership Story Talks | Building relationships in 2023

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 15:00:00 -0700

Julienne and Jerome discuss the art of building relationships and trust through an experience that Julienne had before the holidays.
She describes how her assumptions were proven wrong when she reached out to people to support her for a project.
We look at the role of assumptions in our day to day lives and how they can get in the way of our ability to move forward.
This aligns with Narativ's method of listening specifically and in this episode we go through strategies you can use to set aside assumptions you may have that have been getting in the way of your ability to get what you need or want, and build better relationships for the long term.
We dig into the obstacles to listening and how to create intentions that can change how you see yourself in relation to others...for the better.

Leadership Story Talks | 2023 Trends to Follow

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 15:00:00 -0700

Happy New Year! In this first episode of 2023, Julienne and Jerome discuss HR trends in 2023, based on an article that Julienne was invited to contribute to on bestofhr.com

The main take away is to focus on the most effective ways to keep people engaged, especially in the face of an uncertain year, with much "doom and gloom" talk. We posit that the R word that will guide 2023 does not stand for Recession but for Retention.

Storytelling will be a critical skill to master and transfer to others in order to come up with a strong unifying narrative that people believe in and see themselves contributing to.

Learn how you can implement this practical advice and create your own powerful narrative for the year.

Links:

Best of HR: Top HR Trends

Leadership Story Talks | 2022 Year In Review

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 18:00:00 -0700

Jerome and Julienne discuss lessons learned from the 5 most popular episodes of 2022, which are all linked below in the show notes.
From Zev Shalev and his story of witnessing the release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa as a young student in his uniform to Julienne and Jerome's episode on intentions versus resolutions, you will get practical insights while hearing leadership stories that you can implement in your own life.
You'll hear about our take from the episodes on psychological safety with Sona Sherratt, the benefits of community based approaches to problems both in society at large and in corporations with Cormac Russell, and how dialogue creates understanding and melts barriers to communication.
Enjoy our last episode of 2022! Happy New Year!

Links to our 5 most popular episodes:
Zev Shalev - Seeking the truth in storytelling
Psychological Safety with Sona Sherratt
Dialogue
The connect community with Cormac Russell
New Year Intentions vs New Year Resolutions

Leadership Story Talks | Live Storytelling Coaching with Anna Vafeiadou

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 18:00:00 -0700

Julienne and Jerome discuss how storytelling has enhanced their guest's presentation and leadership skills. Anna Vafeiadou is responsible for the legal sector of the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) in Greece.
As she had been increasingly asked to represent the work of the WWF through public speaking, she decided to enroll into a leadership development course at the MAVA foundation.
She then worked with Jerome on her story to include into her presentations for a variety of stakeholders.
In this episode, Anna shares her story, which starts in her childhood and spans in less than 5 minutes, her journey to where she is today at the WWF.
Julienne and Jerome then deconstruct her story, and ask Anna what she got out of telling her story, and what the process revealed to her.
If you've always wondered about the methodology behind the company, Narativ, this is a perfect opportunity to learn, and to find out how you can become a better storyteller in business.

Resources:
Foundation where Anna developed her leadership skills: MAVA
WWF web site
Anna's profile on LinkedIn

Leadership Story Talks | Scientific Problem Solving with Gianna Biscontini

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0700

Julienne and Jerome speak to Gianna Biscontini, a board certified behavior analyst, bestselling author, and founder of W3RKWELL, a company that is dedicated to creating assessments that businesses can use to improve employee well being.

Working in the clinical world, Gianna's environment was no longer supporting her growth, and she started to teach neuroscience based meditation.
From there, she came across research that showed how poor health was often a result of one's work environment.
That's when she created W3RKWELL to help better match the work environment with what employees want and need.

We discussed her journey in this space, and what companies can do to create environments that meet employees where they are and evolve with them, as opposed to copying what other organizations do to improve employee well being.

Gianna creates solutions that are scientifically based, and you will learn how you may be able to adjust your own work environment to begin to see improvements in your employees' well being and mental health.

Resources we discussed in the podcast:

W3RKWELL: https://www.w3rkwell.com/
Gianna's book
Gianna's personal web site
UC Irvine's Gloria Mark's research
Cal Newport's book "Deep work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world"

Leadership Story Talks | Heather Walker, PhD - Levity At Work

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we welcome Heather Walker, PhD, who has made a career of promoting, and implementing levity at work, through a variety of means.

Dr. Walker founded Lead with Levity to promote healthy workplaces through survey insights, workshops, and a healthy dose of wisdom from guests on the Lead with Levity Podcast. Her goal is to help people have fun, and get more done.

And in this episode, we sure had a lot of fun, especially when our guest shared with us a visual exercise that she had just created for a group of people she'd worked with.
You'll get to experience that as you listen.

You'll also hear how you can begin to find levity in everything that you do and what that will do for your leadership, team, and life in general.
We discussed the theory behind levity as a leadership asset, from being defined as a light, amusing, uplifting moment, to the Latin roots of the word, which is all about "rising above the pressure of the moment."

Levity doesn't necessarily mean that you need to be funny all the time, but rather it's a way of being that allows you to uplift tense situations, and there are very practical ways in which you can begin to inject a healthy dose of levity in everything you do.

Get ready to learn as you listen, and we hope you enjoy as much as we did!

For more on Heather Walker PhD and the Lead with Levity programs she leads, check out these resources:

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/leadwithconfidence

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/leadwithlevity

Websites: https://leadwithlevity.com

Email: info@leadwithlevity.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/leadwithlevity

Facebook: https://facebook.com/leadwithlevity

Leadership Story Talks | Onboarding with Personal Stories

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0700

Jerome recently was invited as an expert speaker to appear on a panel along with two other experts to discuss onboarding. The central question posed: How do we make onboarding more impactful and more engaging?
Julienne observed the panel as a participant and in this episode, we looked at the main take aways and elaborated on why and how personal stories transformed the onboarding process for the companies that Narativ worked with.
Is your onboarding process bogged down by compliance, administrative and technical content that have sucked the enthusiasm out of your new hires in their first few weeks?
How can you inject the experience with engagement strategies that are welcoming and allow for space to listen to new hires so they feel like their voice matters from day 1?
You will learn how listening and storytelling can transform your onboarding process into a key component of the employee experience.
Tune in to find out what you can do to engage your employees from day 1.

To learn more about Narativ's onboarding system: https://narativ.com/services/storytelling-for-employee-onboarding/

Leadership Story Talks | Leadership In A VUCA World

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 15:00:00 -0700

The acronym VUCA stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous.
Does this resonate with you right now?
How does leadership respond to such an environment?
Julienne and Jerome examine the term but instead of delving into the doom and gloom of current headlines, they look at how you can address these fears through listening and storytelling.
The future is a story, and this episode will give you practical insights on you can create a more hopeful and positive story that stands the test of a VUCA world.

Narativ Story Talks | The Connected Community with Cormac Russell

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0700

Cormac Russell is a social explorer, an author and a much sought-after speaker. He is the Founding Director of Nurture Development and a member of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute, at DePaul University, Chicago.

Over the last 25 years, Cormac’s work has demonstrated an enduring impact in 35 countries around the world. He has trained communities, agencies, NGOs and governments in ABCD and other community-based approaches in Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe and North America.

In our interview, Cormac described his work in communities and how he's made a career out of using community-based approaches to impact people at the local level with global ramifications. We discussed what community is ("It's whatever you define it to be") and how without community, individuals suffer. So why wouldn't we look to community-based approaches to solve problems that are common to us all?

Cormac takes us on a journey from his native Ireland to Chicago and Asia and back to Europe again. He gives you, the listener, great examples of how to solve big challenges through community based approaches.
In the process, he gives us much to think about and act on in our own lives, so that we too can make improvements wherever we are.

Cormac tells us how his work is not separate from his life and how he grew up. As an orphan, the communities that welcomed him were crucial to his upbringing and influenced his vision for his work and how he could make an impact.

You'll find more on Cormac Russell's work and books here:

Cormac Russell's latest book: The Connected Community- Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods (Coauthor John McKnight); Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2022
His previous book: Rekindling Democracy – A Professional’s Guide to Working in Citizen Space; Cascade Books, 2020.
TEDx Talk entitled: Sustainable community development: from what's wrong to what's strong
Cormac's web site: Nurture Development
Cormac's linkedin: profile page

Narativ Story Talks | Brand Citizenship with Anne Bahr Thompson

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0600

Anne Bahr Thompson has a rich and layered background, from business school to banking to branding to research and advertising to purpose. Anne connects the dots between vying for profit and leading a purpose-driven company. The two are not incompatible, quite the opposite!
But she also notes that too many companies have gone overboard looking at their "why", and not enough time has been spent looking at the "how." How will you make your purpose a reality?
In this rich conversation, we look at how organizations can "Do good", which is the title of Anne's new book (see the notes for more on the book and where to find it), and what roles storytelling, research, data, strategy and branding play in making the purpose of a company happen.

Resources / Links:
Anne's web site
Anne's book "Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel both Purpose and Profit"
For more on why we tell stories: "The 7 basic plots: Why we tell stories", by Christopher Booker
Start With Why, Simon Sinek TED Talk
For more on Peter Drucker

Narativ Story Talks | Our origin story

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne reflect back on their meeting.
Julienne had reached out to Jerome and members of the Narativ team, that led to a meeting in person (pre-pandemic).
During that first meeting, Julienne noticed that the Narativ team members were walking their talk, meaning they were listening and giving space to Julienne to speak.
A dialogue ensued that mirrored the process that Julienne had seen glimpses of on the Narativ web site, materials and a phone call she'd had with members of the team before that first meeting in person.
How do you create a space for listening when interviewing candidates or even new clients? What about onboarding? What impression are you giving? Are you walking the talk? What do your surroundings look like? Are they inviting? Are they conducive to productive creativity?
What tone are you setting?
These are all the questions we answer and that listeners can learn practical tips from in the first half of the episode.
The second half of the episode focuses on Jerome's story and how he came to be the CEO of Narativ, and what had led to a drastic change in his career.
For those of you who are at a crossroads and looking for the next step in your careers, there's more to be learned from that part of the episode.

Narativ Story Talks | Quiet Listening with Jerome Deroy and Julienne B Ryan

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 12:00:00 -0600

In this episode, we look back to what we were talking about exactly a year ago, when we started the podcast. From a post pandemic return to the office, to the Great Resignation, and now Quiet Quitting in the last few months, we've seen a lot of changes.

But have things really changed that much in terms of our behaviors and interpersonal communications? Were the problems that led to issues with working remotely, people resigning en masse, come out of nowhere?

Our answer is NO!

Human behaviors that we need to pay attention to and address are at the root of everything and always have been.

It's time for some "quiet listening" as coined by Julienne in this episode. Listen in and learn what you can do at this moment to do more listening, and less talking, and find out the impact it will have on the teams you lead and those around you.

Narativ Story Talks | Happier at Work with Aoife O'Brien

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 14:00:00 -0600

We welcome Aoife O’Brien in this episode. She's the founder of Happier at Work, a business with the mission to support organizations in retaining top talent.

She is passionate about ‘fit’ and specifically how creating the right environment can help individuals to reach their full potential and support organizations to thrive.

She partners with HR and business leaders to focus on four pillars: engagement and belonging; leadership equity; performance and productivity; and the future of work. She is a self-professed data nerd, with a 20+ year career in market research in the fast-moving consumer goods industry working with clients like Coca Cola, Unilever and Heinz to solve marketing problems using data analytics.

Even though she enjoyed her job as a market researcher in the consumer goods industry, she struggled to figure out what to do next, and ultimately decided to leave and began a journey to coach others and use data to solve problems. The problems she decided to focus on didn't have anything to do with market research and consumer goods, but on people dynamics.

We discuss what’s behind disengagement at work, and how we’ve all felt it and what Aoife’s work does to address this issue and other human-centered problems through data analysis. Engagement data in particular is something that many organizations do but few look at the purpose of collecting data around human dynamics, and what to do in response to the data collected.

Values are at the center of Aoife’s work so we look at the role of values in creating happiness at work. You’ll hear about why it’s essential to find and know your values, as a way of directing your career, your life, your team, and your organization. Values will guide your actions, and behaviors. This in turn creates trust if well done, but if your actions and behaviors don’t track with your values, then you’ll ultimately be at risk of losing employees and customers. Aoife gives us a great example of this with a company that used the word “open” a lot as a value, but acted in a way that was very closed minded. That’s just one example among many that Aoife walks us through.

Aoife also delves into her own personal experience of something that has shaped how she has led her career and work / life balance today.

Listen to this episode and find out how you can be happier at work too!

Resources:

Aoife's links:
Websites:
happieratwork.ie

impostersyndrome.ie

Instagram: instagram.com/happieratwork.ie

Narativ Story Talks | Psychological Safety with Sona Sherratt

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Story Talks, we welcome Sona Sherratt of Ashridge where she designs, teaches and client directs on several executive education programmes with clients such as SAB Miller, Swarovski, Heineken, Erste Group Bank, Avis, Beazley Insurance Group and Continental. Sona has designed and delivered senior leadership and general management programs for clients around the world. Sona has co-authored a book entitled ‘50 Biggest Management Dilemmas Solved’ which was published by Pearson in January 2014.

Together we discussed an area close to her heart, something she's been researching and writing about extensively as part of her doctorate: Psychological Safety. This is a broad word that we broke down in terms of benefits and the consequences of not creating a psychologically safe working environment.

We covered a lot of ground, managing to discuss the concept of "quiet quitting", the "big resignation", the "trust equation", and leadership challenges in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous.)
We break these down and leave you with practical tools to navigate a work place and work force that are increasingly complex and where the stakes couldn't be higher.
For instance, you'll learn about lazy questions versus questions that move everyone forward, something that isn't so difficult to implement, and could make a big difference in your day to day interactions.

Finally, as you know by now, we always ask our guests about an experience that shaped who they are today, and Sona did not disappoint with an answer that is highly relatable and yet unique in its circumstances. It involves moving from India to the US when she was 10, not speaking the language, and walking on an escalator for the first time.

Enjoy!

Links and resources to learn more:

For more on Sona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonasherratt/
For more on Ashridge: https://www.hult.edu/ashridge/
For more on the work of Carol Dwek, influential American psychologist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Dweck
For more on "quiet quitting": https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/23/style/quiet-quitting-tiktok.html
For more on David Maister and the Trust Equation: https://trustedadvisor.com/why-trust-matters/understanding-trust/understanding-the-trust-equation

Narativ Story Talks | Responsible Leadership with Earl Breon

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0600

In this episode, we welcome Earl Breon, a former active duty United States Marine with over 25 years of experience in coaching and leadership development. He is the CEO and Founder of The Leadership Phalanx where he combines his civilian and military experiences with his love of history to bring his clients what he calls, "The 11 Shields of The Leadership Phalanx".

These shields work together like the ancient Spartan formation to provide a strong leadership foundation that values diversity and inclusion as fundamental to building strong, successful, and innovative teams.

We discussed all aspects of what Earl calls responsible leadership, including biases, assumptions and the things that get in the way of our ability to be a leader that knows how to both nurture people and make tough decisions.

This conversation also went into experiences that shaped who Earl is today, and you'll hear a very moving story about the values that were instilled in Earl at a very young age by his grandparents because his parents were not around. That personal experience, plus the experience gained as a US marine and seeing both good and bad leadership at work, combine to give you, our listeners, a set of insights and principles that you'll be able to implement in your day to day life and work.

His podcast "Responsible leadership with Earl Breon" is a goldmine of advice and resources.

To learn more about Earl and The Leadership Phalanx, check out these links:

Podcast "Responsible Leadership With Earl Breon"
linkedin.com/in/earlbreon/
www.leadershipphalanx.com

Narativ Story Talks | Zev Shalev - Seeking The Truth in Storytelling

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 12:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Julienne and Jerome talk to Zev Shalev, CEO of Narativ Studios and Cool Wolf Inc.

Yes, you read that right, Narativ spelled the same way we do. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to find out what another Narativ is doing out there in the world.

And what a treat to speak to Zev, a former CBS News Executive, and journalist who hails from South Africa. He is the winner of the Murrow Award and has been nominated for three Emmy Awards and 5 Canadian Screen Awards.

Zev shared with us the moment that he knew he would be a journalist, and what a story that is: Picture a 16 year old in his school uniform, getting lifted up in the air by some strangers who helped him get a seat to see Mandela speak after he was freed from jail, just as apartheid was ending in South Africa.

We explored with Zev what seeking the truth in storytelling means, and how to do it efficiently.

This is a MUST LISTEN if you want to know more about journalistic storytelling and how that ties into empathy, understanding, building bridges, and yes, we dare to say it, creating a better world.

To learn more about Zev, go to:

Narativ TV on youtube: youtube.com/channel/UC3NmKvE4agxFmOiy35dGBJg

Narativ TV live on Twitter: twitter.com/NarativTv?

coolwolfinc.com

narativ.org

Narativ Story Talks | Answer Intelligence with Brian Glibkowski

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne are talking with the creator of Answer Intelligence (AQ)™, Dr. Brian Glibkowski.

When Dr. Glibkowski wanted to know what skills he could improve when he was a doctoral student, the answer was "communication."

This set him on a path to discover how to help organizations and their employees improve the way they communicate by answering 6 questions: What, Who, Why, When, Where, How.

Starting with golf professionals, he tested out a methodology that became the Answer Intelligence (AQ), which led to a book and now a framework that he helps organizations all over the world to implement.

Brian introduces his framework via a circle visual, which you can see on this episode's artwork and in this link.

We discuss the balance between procedures, storytelling, strategy, and action plans that are part of this decision making and communication process.

To learn more and try this FREE assessment, go to this link: https://www.raiseyouraq.com/explore.html

Narativ Story Talks | Passion, Paycheck, Environment - with Jodi Brockington

Wed, 11 May 2022 12:00:00 -0600

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk to Jodi Brockington, who is a hiring, career, Diversity & Inclusion, and Corporate Social Responsibility consultant, with many other hats. Jodi has created a framework to help both employers and employees figure out the right combination between their need for a paycheck, their passion (tied to their purpose), and the kind of work environment that fosters productivity and well being.

You will learn how you can engage your employees by looking at all 3 elements, and, if you're looking for your next career move, how you can use this framework for yourself.

You'll learn about Jodi's own unconventional career path and origin story, growing up in a biracial household, and how that informed and shaped who she is today and why she's so invested in the future of the workforce.

Links:

To connect with Jodi, learn about her services and find out about her latest venture, BLENDid, check out these links:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodibrockington/

Instagram: @friendsofjodi

Narativ Story Talks | Socratic Dialogue with Sira Abenoza

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 16:00:00 -0600

In this episode Jerome and Julienne talk with Sira Abenoza, a professor at ESADE business and law schools in Barcelona, Spain.
She created the Institute for Socratic Dialogue to create conversations between people who sometimes have diametrically opposing points of view.

We discussed Sira's experience working with inmates, as well as with factions from both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The methods of Socratic Dialogue managed to create connection where there seemingly was none at all.

Sira believes that every person deserves to be heard, no matter their politics or beliefs. In this increasingly polarized world, where opinions generate conflict, the methods she employs bridge divides and bring to the surface the stories that unite us all.

Listeners will hear practical examples as well as tools they can use themselves to create spaces in which they can bring people together in their work place, simply by listening and encouraging dialogue.

WATCH Sira's TEDx Talk here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t987Lxt1t4

For more on the Institute for Socratic Dialogue, go to: https://www.institutesocratic.com/

To watch a trailer for a documentary about Sira's work in prisons, go to: https://vimeo.com/248890676

Narativ Story Talks | Crisis Lessons

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0600

In this episode of Story Talks, Julienne and Jerome discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, and what they're learning about leadership, listening and dealing with crises.

The last few years have brought on many global crises that have affected everyone. The war in Ukraine is showing a particular style of leadership, which we believe carry lessons for business leaders.

Listen to this episode to learn about these leadership qualities, and how to keep listening when there are so many obstacles getting in the way of our ability to connect and be present.

Resources:

- Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

- Simon Sinek's TED talk on the golden circle

Narativ StoryTalks | Leading Into The Unknown with Paul Browde, MD

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0700

Jerome and Julienne talk with Narativ co-founder Dr Paul Browde.

Paul is a psychiatrist, a Narativ therapist, a marriage guidance counselor and an actor.
Paul talks about his early training as a doctor in South Africa and how learning to listen to his patients led him to Narativ and developing a listening and storytelling method. You'll hear Paul's origin story, and what led him to be guided by listening and people's stories, even as a doctor. He noticed early on that in the medical field, doctors listen for what's wrong and how to fix things, but they don't (or rarely do) listen for the story behind the issues patients are raising.

Paul attended medical school at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and trained as an actor at the Drama Studio London. He completed residency training in psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and has run his own narratively informed psychiatric practice in Manhattan for the past twenty years.

As a psychiatrist, Paul experienced first hand the power of telling his own personal story, one that liberated him and to be freer with who he really was.

Today, he leads workshops for couples, teaching them how to communicate from a place of connection.

He founded, along with Murray Nossel, PhD, Narativ Inc., which aims at transforming individuals, teams, and organizations through the simple, timeless, and universal art of storytelling. He has led and participated in several projects with the Open Society Foundations, teaching storytelling as an advocacy tool to grantees in Africa and Eastern Europe. He has taught the Co-Constructing Narratives course in the Narrative Medicine Masters' Program for the past seven years.

Dr. Browde is co-writer and co-performer of Two Men Talking, a storytelling performance that has been produced in theaters internationally, including South Africa, on the West End of London, and Off-Broadway in New York City. Two Men Talking has been critically acclaimed in The New York Times, The Guardian, and The London Times.

Topics:
- Bringing your whole self to work: What does it mean?
- Leading into the unknown: What is required of leaders today? We discuss practical tools that people can apply for today's uncertain times. Rather than coming from a place of fixing things, and having all of the answers, we talk about shifting this to asking questions and acknowledging that we don't have all the answers.
- Us versus them: The dangers of seeing some people as separate from us. We all share a humanity, and we discuss how this has influenced Paul's wo

Narativ Story Talks | We need to talk about the benefits cliff with Karen Schoellkopf

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 17:00:00 -0700

In this episode, Jerome and Julienne talk with Karen Schoellkopf, founder and CEO of Leap Fund.

We look at Karen's journey from MFA to tech to entrepreneur. Karen tells us about something that was obscure to us and, apparently, even members of Congress: The benefits cliff. This is when workers across the country turn down income that they have earned at their jobs, out of fear of losing public benefits worth much more than a raise. Leap Fund creates products that empower optimism, financial and career growth, future planning, and security for the working families that need it most.

But how did Karen get here after a MFA in photography?

Listen to her story.

Topics we discuss:

- Karen's journey to entrepreneurship and lending her skills to illuminate an issue that affects millions of people in the shadow of the #greatresignation moment we find ourselves in.

- The value of storytelling and Karen's aha moment

- How photography and Karen's training helped her in her career

- Advice for people looking to change careers

- Ways to help employers and employees face the benefits cliff and find resources

To learn more, go to https://www.benefitscliff.com/

Narativ StoryTalks | Financial Health Expert George Grombacher

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 11:00:00 -0700

In this Story Talks episode Jerome and Julienne talk with George Grombacher who has worked in personal finance for 20 years and has been named a top 100 financial advisor in the US by Investopedia for the past three years. He’s working hard to encourage, empower, and entertain others with critical and compelling information to help them create more financial success and live as they wish to.

George hosts LIFE BLOOD a podcast that shares information and advice on personal wealth management.

Highlights:

- George breaks down how he sees financial health and financial wellness with a holistic approach and a set of questions he answers: How does one get better at money? What's the approach? How do you keep people motivated to get better?
- George's journey from college to selling life insurance to where he is now, looking at his job as contributing to people's happiness by helping them be better at money.
- When we discuss money, we have to talk about so many other parts of our lives (family, childhood, relationships, etc)
- The value of storytelling when talking about money and addressing money issues: It's all about delivering the message and be able to present complex information in a distilled, visual and relatable way.
- Part of George's job is helping people to create their origin story in order to identify how best to help them.
- George describes a pivotal moment with a group that helped inform what he does today. His story has to do with creating a comfort level by admitting his own fallibility when it comes to money. He had an "aha" moment that changed his perspective.

Resources and ways to learn more:
https://lifeblood.live/
moneyalignmentacademy.com/
LifeBlood Goals Course
LifeBlood Values Course

Narativ StoryTalks | Dialogue

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:00:00 -0700

In this short episode, Jerome and Julienne talk about the importance of silence in dialogue. How listening is key to understanding and not to be afraid of the silence in between.

Narativ StoryTalks | New Year Intentions vs Resolutions

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0700

Here is 2022!

Julienne and Jerome discuss the value of setting an intention instead of beating yourself up about not coming through with your New Year resolutions.

Intentions call you into a certain way of being and can help you break old habits, especially when it comes to listening and to the story you tell about yourself and others.

Julienne has some great advice for businesses and leaders based on a recent experience with a client. You'll come away with practical ways to engage your customers and employees, so listen in and let us know what you think!

Notes:

Why setting an intention can change how you listen
Memorable moments: Take stock by asking your staff to come up with memorable moments from 2021.
January is both about looking to the past for lessons and looking to the future

Narativ StoryTalks | Lessons from start up CEO Penny Schiffer

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0700

Why are Venture Capitalists not using tech to help them do their work? That’s where Raized.ai, the company that Penny Schiffer created, comes in.

Penny talks about the origin of her venture and why she went from being a Venture Capitalist to being a CEO of a start up.

She also tells us about what happened after her aha! moment.

We discuss the process by which Penny uses data and AI to help make better decisions and expand the sources and funnels that VCs use to find the next big venture.

We also look at the power of data, AI, and tech and how to communicate effectively about subjects that can often be very technical and dry.

Topics covered in this episode:~

- The journey of an idea goes through a honeymoon phase that’s creative and expansive, before limitations and obstacles make the idea a reality.

- How Penny attracts investors and collaborators to her venture. What venture capitalists look at when they make decisions about investments: There are big differences between European and American mindsets.

- Pitching a company is more than the elevator pitch: You must know what you’ll be saying AFTER the pitch - Don’t just train for the big Hollywood moment!

- Big knowledge happens in smaller conversations.

- What’s the place of storytelling in a company that’s all about data and tech?

Penny reminds us that stories can help us remember certain moments that authorize us to our audience. These stories tell our audience why we should trust you as the leader of a new venture.

- Your story of your company will change according to your audience, so think about the different perspectives that your customers and investors have in order to find the right story.

Links:

raized.ai : Learn more about the start up that Penny Schiffer started and is actively developing.

narativ.com: Find our latest blog posts, and resources for implementing storytelling practices in your business

Narativ StoryTalks | Making The Workplace Work Better for Working People with Matt Bahl

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 13:00:00 -0700

Jerome and Julienne talk with Matt Bahl - VP and head of workplace financial health, Financial Health Network.

In this episode of Story Talks we discover how do we make people’s lives better by improving their financial resilience?

That salaries are not determinative of financial health.

How can we make workplace work better for working people?

Matt talks about how the catalytic moment for him was when he told the story of his father at a summit on financial wellness and how that story led him to a positive career move and how it’s been influencing the audiences he talks to.

The generational differences with regards to finance and work are vast.

Filling the gap between the values companies state and the actions they take: The void is vast and Matt’s work is to better align those, and deliver solutions to the real problems workers face.

The difference between moral injury and burnout, and how new generations are feeling this in the workplace right now.

Employers need to do a lot more than just helping employees to save for retirement, like paying down debt and solving credit issues.

The three best practices that companies can implement right now to improve their employees’ financial health in their work place.

Data without storytelling is as useless as storytelling is without data. You must humanize the data for it to be effective, and the story is how you engage people because it has a human component that the data lacks.

We need stories of every day average working people in order to get messages through and affect change: How do we make the unremarkable feel remarkable?

Learn about Matt’s favorite inspirational stories and how he uses them for impact.

Our best practices and take away’s from our conversation.

LINKS ~
Financial health network: finhealthnetwork.org - building an ecosystem for making financial health a reality for everyone.

#fintechs #financialhealth #personalwealth #financialhealth

Lila’s cupcakes : https://finhealthnetwork.org/team/lila-owens

Narativ:

Narativ StoryTalks | The Value of Personal Storytelling

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 12:02:51 -0700

In this podcast Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan talk about the ways in which leaders can connect with their employees with personal stories in the wake of the events of 2020.In this episode they talk about ~~ Many companies are seriously utilising Diversity, Equity & inclusion.~ Leaders eyes (and ears) opened in hearing employee stories in the wake of George Floyd's death and the personal stories that came out through listening sessions where leaders invited stories from their employees~ People need the tools to be able to tell their stories~ Be prepared to receive the response(s) to your personal story~ How we listen shapes the storytelling~ Sharing common experiences through stories is where the dialogue starts~ Turning a negative story into a positive message~ Motivations to tell a personal story and to empower employees~ Recognising significant life-changing moments~ Murray Nossel's Masterclass (link?)~ Take the chance to tell the 'hindsight is 20-20' story that shows what you learned~ Ask yourself why you need a story?~ Practising STORY TOURISM

Narativ StoryTalks | How To Share Key Knowledge For Recruitment & Retention

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 11:22:28 -0700

In this episode, Jules and Jerome take a deeper dive into something that they scratched the surface of in episode 1. That thing is knowledge transfer. How do you do it? Why do you need to? Inspiring presentations are not the only outcome of storytelling. Effectively transferring knowledge within your organization is the lesser known, but perhaps more powerful use of storytelling in business. Listen to this episode to learn how you can put in place practices today that will make your systems more efficient and have the potential to turn the tide on issues of engagement, retention, recruitment, onboarding, productivity and job performance.narativ.com jryanpartners.com"3 types of stories to boost talent acquisition and retention": narativ.com/2021/09/20/boost-talent-acquisition-retention-with-storytellingHighlights of this episode: - How to capture knowledge before it's lost- How to tell stories that share critical information so people can learn from them. - Strategies for creating and sharing knowledge through stories- Identifying the audiences for whom knowledge transfer is particularly critical- Types of stories you can tell (it's not all about success stories!)- Knowledge transfer starts when you're recruiting. Talking about job descriptions in story form will avoid casting errors and set up reasonable expectations at the outset. - Complete your talent wish lists with stories that bring them to life, so people can remember those and really get what the job is about. - How to incentivize people to share their knowledge through stories- Make storytelling part of your regime, just like you keep track of your tasks on a daily basis. - Identify the "scribes" in your business, and assign listening roles, not just storytellers, so that you extract lessons that can be shared with others. - The 5 questions that always reap actionable responses - Be nosey and listen for nuances!

Narativ StoryTalks | Learning from First Graders

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 15:06:32 -0600

What can we learn from first graders and the school system to welcome back our colleagues into an in-person office environment? This episode considers the very practical ways of reentering an in-person office environment, drawing inspiration from the protocols schools have put in place, while acknowledging the social anxieties that both Jerome and Jules themselves have been feeling! Too often, we assume that things will go back to business as usual as soon as we can get back into an office environment, but we're now seeing that's not the case. Jules and Jerome discuss the structures (and rituals) that you can put in place to make your colleagues feel safe, productive and taken care of. narativ.com jryanpartners.comArticle: https://narativ.com/2021/09/30/create-authentic-team-connections/Highlights of this episode: ~- With employees returning to work, how do we welcome people back and what do we do about lingering fears that people feel about going back? - What's it like to re-enter the world and leave the comforts of our home-bound work experience? - We look at the school system and their policies to bring students back for in person learning: What we can learn from the 1st graders and their teachers to understand how to bring colleagues back to the workplace in a safe, playful and productive way. - Story time is a key component of a child's learning and world view. Why not apply this idea to the business world? - Acknowledging the realities of the struggles that people have had to endure when we welcome them back into the office, and taking the pulse of what people are thinking and feeling. - What are we capable of at this moment when we go back into an in-person environment? Don't assume it will be business as usual.- What kind of ritual can you put in place to mark the occasion of welcoming people back into the office? Draw inspiration from how you celebrate birthdays for instance. - Your company is made of distinct groups, each with their own stories that you can collect data from to understand the best ways to evolve work structures.- Create a series of small events, so that people have a consistent way of being heard and sharing what's going on. - Find joy in every moment, especially when you're feeling anxious about seeing others and working with them in person. Let's remind ourselves of what we have to be grateful for.

Narativ StoryTalks | Vulnerability In Business

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 15:06:29 -0600

What happens when a leader tells a personal story about his father to a business audience? Does vulnerability connect you with your audience or does it distract the audience? Jerome and Jules discuss vulnerability and leadership, through real world stories about leaders they've worked with. You'll come away with practical ideas and tools to present yourself in a genuine way, representing who you really are in order to connect with your audience.narativ.com jryanpartners.comArticle about vulnerability and storytelling: narativ.com/2021/05/17/mvp-of-storytellingHIGHLIGHTS ~- An executive who told a personal story about his father for a business audience: we discussed the executive's fears and vulnerability, and why it was one of the best presentations he ever gave. - Stories are an important tool to bring to life concepts that are hard to grasp- A story about a panel where someone get emotional on stage while moderating. The vulnerability one of the participants showed made everyone lean in. - When you notice emotions, don't try to suppress those, let the vulnerability come through. - Look within your own family dynamics and experiences as a source for stories that you can tell in a business setting. These are highly relatable and carry universal truths and lessons. - Take a risk by sharing a personal story!- Your audience is far more capable of hearing a personal, emotional story, than you think! - Teachers and mentors, people who've seen you in a different way, encouraged you and empowered you are a great source of stories. - When emotions are involved for the storyteller, you indicate to the audience that you are truly in the moment with your listeners.- Personal storytelling is not just for confident presenters, introverts can do it too! - Try telling personal stories, you'll feel energized and more connected to your own experiences, which in turn creates connection with your audience. - Once you've heard someone's story, you'll never look at them the same way again. - Call to action: Surprise yourself and be open to surprise. Listen for surprise. What can that bring to your next meeting or presentation?

Narativ StoryTalks | Knowledge Transfer In A Remote Workplace

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 14:02:33 -0600

Story Talks is a podcast hosted by Jerome Deroy and Julienne Ryan.In each episode we discuss the practices that engage, motivate, develop, retain, and attract people to businesses, whether these are your customers or your employees. Their principles and tools are based on real world stories that leverage listening and storytelling to become a better leader and management professional.IN THIS EPISODE ~This is a critical time for leaders to start a systematic process for collecting knowledge for the whole company. Jerome and Julienne discuss their observations and learnings around being proactive in collecting and sharing your company’s secret sauce internally, so that critical knowledge is not lost as you may be experiencing high turnover. Read more about talent acquisition preparedness: narativ.com/2021/06/01/talent-acquisition-preparednessnarativ.com jryanpartners.comWE COVER THESE TOPICS ~~ Pandemic lessons and how to handle high employee turnoverWhat if you could capture knowledge before an employee leaves? ~ The value of storytelling to share information and create conversations about the workplace and culture to build raport~ The link between storytelling and onboarding and retention ~ Opportunity to capture and share knowledge and leverage these as a recruitment tool. ~ An example of how one company uses stories of the values of the company as their window to the world, and how it's helped attract talent. Getting started with storytelling to impact your recruitment strategy.~ Stories in interview settings: Starting a relationship built on trust with candidates~ We can't have informal conversations in remote offices, so stories help maintain the human connection in a virtual world~ How to provide spaces for informal conversations~ Facilitate a conversation around the direction the organization is going so that stories can emerge~ An example of an in-office culture going remote and how they brought everyone together with stories that embodied the values of the company~ Finding themes that connect everyone in the organization and ask people to work on stories that reflect those. ~ Use stories strategically and collect them in a story library that you can draw from for specific purposes. ~ Stories live in every stage of an employee's experience and career~ Stories allow you to make connections between each member of your team.~ Remote work has created more opportunities to bring people together who normally wouldn't be in touch with one another ~ People who listen for stories are the ones who can facilitate the process of connecting ideas with team members and projects. ~ Because of Covid and virtual meetings, people are more transparent and willi