What Do You Know To Be True?

Why You Don't Need to Be Extraordinary to Thrive | Lisa Hallett on her Superpower of Being Ordinary

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0700

Lisa Hallett, CEO of Wear Blue: Run to Remember, an endurance athlete, and a Gold Star spouse, explains why she believes "ordinary" is a superpower, and not a limitation. She shares how running became the way she processed grief after her husband’s, Captain John Hallett, death in Afghanistan, why community is where our strengths get reflected back to us, and why she's about to run 250 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C. with One Flag Forward, a joint mission with Team Red, White & Blue and Wear Blue honoring military service and sacrifice and sharing a message of stronger together.

Key Takeaways
• Ordinary is not a limitation, it's a starting point: Lisa Hallett argues that accepting "I'm just me" is what makes hard, extraordinary goals reachable.
• Running became Lisa's way to process grief without losing herself to it: "I was not running from my grief, but I was running through my grief."
• Superpowers are relational: they get named, reflected, and grown through community, not discovered alone.
• One Flag Forward is a 250-mile, 5-day run from NYC to D.C. (Sept 12–16, 2026) where Wear Blue and Team RWB carry a single flag hand-to-hand.
• Holding onto "receipts," memories of past hard things you've already survived, builds the foundation for the next hard thing.

Questions This Episode Answers
• Why did Lisa Hallett choose running as a form of remembrance? After her husband, Captain John Hallett, was killed in Afghanistan, running let her feel her grief without letting it consume her. She calls it running through grief, not from it.
• What is One Flag Forward? A 250-mile, 5-day relay (Sept 12–16, 2026) where Wear Blue: Run to Remember and Team Red, White & Blue carry one American flag from New York City to Washington, D.C.
• How can you find your superpower? Ask a good friend. Superpowers are usually easier for others to see in us than we can see in ourselves.
• Why does Lisa Hallett call being ordinary a superpower? Because it strips away entitlement and comparison, and proves that meaningful, hard goals don't require exceptional resources, just the choice to keep showing up.
• How does Lisa Hallett describe community building as a superpower?
She says superpowers aren't discovered alone, they get developed in relationship with others. It’s the opportunity to have a mirror for ourselves as we be in service of something bigger than ourselves.

Chapters
00:00 Path to Extraordinary Starts with Ordinary
2:11 Lisa Hallett Introduction
2:45 Why running, not another form of remembrance
5:28 One Flag Forward: 250 miles, NYC to D.C., and why now
6:36 Hallets Do Hard Things
7:20 The permission in being ordinary
9:05 We're worthy to not be defined by our most difficult moments
11:14 We blossom in the light of others
14:05 How community reflects our superpowers back to us
17:02 The small moments vs. the finish-line moments
23:00 What does Lisa want me to know about the Gold Star Family and Military community
24:10 The Superpower of being ordinary
28:40 Permission to be ordinary and accepting self
33:32 Ordinary proves potential
34:19 How Lisa learned anything is possible

Full transcript: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/why-you-dont-need-to-be-extraordinary-to-thrive-lisa-hallett-on-her-superpower-of-being-ordinary

Resources Mentioned
• Wear Blue: Run to Remember: https://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/
• One Flag Forward: https://www.oneflagforward.org/
• Lisa's 2013 TEDX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9v3TMrsbdg

Music in this episode by Amplify Music

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast capturing insights and experiences with people who've navigated their own reinvention, to be more aligned with their purpose and possibilities.

Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move. Wherever you are on the reinvent yourself path, these conversations are for you.

➡️ For insights into each conversation, subscribe to the newsletter: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Learn more about the conversations: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We're recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

#Ordinary #Grief #Superpowers #Running #Extraordinary #Communitybuilding #reinventyourself #LeadershipDevelopment #personaldevelopment #RogerKastner

Your Superpowers Start With Something Missing | Roger Kastner on the Reinvent Yourself Framework

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 06:00:00 -0700

To mark the third anniversary of What Do You Know To Be True?, host Roger Kastner answers the three questions he's asked most often: what his 80+ guests have in common, how to find your superpower, and how to reinvent yourself to align with your purpose.

Drawing on a conversation with leadership coach Joel Monk, Roger explains why most superpowers begin as an unmet need, then lays out a seven-part framework for reinvention built on purpose, joy, hope, adaptability, well-being, courage, and community.

Key Takeaways
• Empathy, curiosity, and connection show up across nearly every conversation about superpowers, a "power" only becomes a superpower once it's used in service of others.
• In roughly nine out of ten conversations, a superpower traces back to an unmet need from earlier in a person's life.
• Purpose gives a superpower its direction, but joy is what fuels people to keep using it.
• Hope, using Charles R. Snyder's definition, means believing in your goals, your path, and your own agency to create change.
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs misses something: superpowers and reinvention only fully take shape in community, not in isolation.

Questions This Episode Answers
• What do the guests on What Do You Know To Be True? have in common? Across more than 80 conversations, empathy, curiosity, and connection are the throughline. Guests describe their superpower as something that only became a superpower once it moved from personal skill to service of other people.
• How do you find your superpower? In most cases, a superpower starts as an unmet need from earlier in life. A person finds something that addresses that need, keeps doing it because it's healing, and it becomes a superpower once they start using it to help others.
• How do you reinvent yourself to align with your purpose? Roger Kastner's framework points to seven building blocks: purpose, joy, hope, adaptability, well-being, courage, and community; with community as the piece most self-improvement models leave out.
• What's the critique of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in this episode? Roger argues it's too focused on the self. Real growth and reinvention happen in relationship, with a team or a community, not alone.

Chapters
0:00 Three Years of Conversations
1:11 The Common Thread of Superpowers
3:54 How to Discover Your Superpower
6:13 Aligning Work with Purpose
9:14 The Power of Community

▶️ Full Transcript available here: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/your-superpowers-start-with-something-missing-roger-kastner-on-the-reinvent-yourself-framework

Music in this episode by Amplify Music

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast capturing insights and experiences with people who've navigated their own reinvention, to be more aligned with their purpose and possibilities.

Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move. Wherever you are on the reinvent yourself path, these conversations are for you.

➡️ For insights into each conversation, subscribe to the newsletter: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ To be in more conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We're recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

Keywords
#Superpowers #reinventyourself #Purpose #howtofindyourpurpose #LeadershipDevelopment #personaldevelopment #RogerKastner

The One Big Pivot Won't Work | Reinvent Yourself with Career Coach Sam Alvita

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 06:00:00 -0700

Career strategist Sam Alvita explains why traditional career ladders no longer work for career reinvention. Job skills now last as little as six months to two and a half years, and what works when you want to reinvent yourself instead: a "web" of diversified skills, side projects, and personal brand rather than a single job title. She and host Roger Kastner cover the learn-unlearn-relearn cycle, why AI is leveling the executive playing field, and why real reinvention happens in small steps rather than one dramatic pivot.

The big question for the conversation: What if career reinvention is not one dramatic pivot but a practice you return to again and again?

The conversation also covers the learn-unlearn-relearn discipline, why AI is acting as an equalizer in the executive room, and the Navy SEAL principle that the most senior person in the room speaks last.

Key Takeaways

Job skills now have a shelf life of roughly 6 months to 2.5 years, so a single skillset is not a stable career foundation.
Replace the "career ladder" model with a "web of work": diversified skills, side projects, and a personal brand reduce dependency on any one employer.
Great leaders are measured by how well they develop the people around them, not by individual output.
The Navy SEAL principle, the most senior person speaks last, improves team decision-making by surfacing others' ideas first.
Simplicity is not the same as ease. Reinvention happens through small, repeatable steps, not one dramatic pivot.

Questions This Episode Answers

How do I reinvent my career?
Treat it as an ongoing practice, not a single leap, build a portfolio of skills and projects you can adapt as the market shifts.
How do I prepare to change careers?
Start the learn-unlearn-relearn cycle before you need it: keep adding skills, actively let go of outdated ones, and stay willing to be a beginner again.
What makes for great teams?
Leaders who are evaluated by how well they develop the people around them, and who let the most senior voice speak last so others contribute first.
What is the learn, unlearn, and relearn cycle? A continuous loop of questioning assumptions, acquiring new skills, deliberately discarding ones that no longer serve you, and rebuilding your approach, rather than a one-time retraining event.

Chapters
00:00 Career Reinvention Is a Practice, Not One Pivot
01:49 Learn, Unlearn, Relearn: The Cycle Every Job Now Demands
05:54 The Navy SEAL Rule: The Most Senior Person Speaks Last
07:30 Why the Career Ladder Is Dead (Skills Expire in 2.5 Years)
09:16 Build a Web, Not a Ladder: Diversify Your Footprint
12:24 What Makes Great Teams: Leaders Are Evaluated on Who They Build
18:51 The Identity That's Quietly Holding You Back
22:26 Meeting Learners Where They Are
28:15 The Marathon Mindset: Bite-Sized Steps Over the Big Leap
31:30 Unlearning: Fulfillment Lives in What You Give
38:02 Simplicity Isn't Ease
40:53 What's Next for Sam and Work Rewritten

Full transcripts available at: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/career-reinvention-isnt-one-pivot-its-a-practice-sam-alvita

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Sam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-sloan-alvita/
➡️ Sam’s Company: https://www.byworkrewritten.com/

Watch Next:
▶️You Know It's Time To Reinvent Yourself But You're Waiting | Midlife Reinvention with Sylvia Taylor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z97isd_iNNk&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=6&t=1094s
▶️Still Designing The ‘Perfect Plan’? Become A Good Tryer | Stop Overthinking with Wynne Leon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWK294OpZVI&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=15&t=134s

Music in this episode by Amplify Music

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast capturing insights and experiences with people who’ve navigated their own reinvention, to be more aligned with their purpose and possibilities.

Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move. Wherever you are on the reinvent yourself path, these conversations are for you.

➡️ Check out the site: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We’re recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

Keywords
#CareerReinvention #reinventyourself #LeadershipDevelopment #PortfolioCareer #CareerPivot #leadershipcoaching #personaldevelopment #RogerKastner

Words Won't Build Psychological Safety Your Body Will | Coach and Author Croft Edwards

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0700

Leadership coach and former Army Lieutenant Colonel Croft Edwards explains why psychological safety isn't built with words, it's built with your nervous system. Your body broadcasts signals long before you speak, and your team reads every one of them. Croft and host Roger Kastner cover the moment his military training collided with a room full of dancing people, why somatic leadership starts with regulating yourself before you can co-regulate anyone else, and why he calls the body "the Holy Grail in coaching and leadership."

Key Takeaways
• Psychological safety isn't just about what you say, it's about what your body is already communicating before you open your mouth
• You cannot co-regulate someone else if you haven't learned to regulate yourself first
• The body receives roughly 11 million data signals per second, but the conscious mind is only aware of about 50 of them
• The most difficult person you will ever lead is yourself
• Somatics means how you show up in your body as a living, breathing entity, not just a metaphor for "gut feeling"

Questions This Episode Answers
• How to create psychological safety? Show up in an open body rather than a guarded one. Your team reads your nervous system before they hear your words, so safety starts with what you're physically communicating, not what you're saying.

• How to regulate my nervous system? Notice the roughly 11 million signals your body takes in per second (even though you're only consciously aware of about 50), and use small physical shifts, like changing posture or opening your hands, to change your state before trying to think your way out of it.

• What is embodied leadership? Leadership that operates through the body, not just the intellect. Somatics is how you show up in your body's full living, breathing capacity, since the body holds intelligence that most leadership development leaves untapped.

• How can I be more authentic as a leader? Recognize that the hardest person you'll ever lead is yourself, and stay honest about your own reactivity, like arrogance or defensiveness, rather than performing confidence you haven't actually built.

Chapters
0:00 The Body-Armor Moment
1:04 From Military Command to Ontological Coaching
8:30 Going Native: How Embodied Leadership Builds Trust
15:00 Self-Leadership: The Hardest Person You'll Ever Lead
20:00 The 10,000-Hour Permission Slip
24:30 The Body Is the Holy Grail in Coaching
29:30 Nervous System Regulation: 11 Million Signals Per Second
35:00 How Your Body Creates Psychological Safety
40:00 One Practice That Changes Everything

Full transcript: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/psychological-safety-your-body-is-the-key-to-unlocking-connections-croft-edwards

Resources Mentioned
• Croft's company: https://croftandcompany.com/
• Croft's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/croftedwards/

Watch Next
• Why You Overreact Then Regret It Instantly | Nervous System Regulation with Ashley Douglas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yim5d8FO7Oo&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=13&t=677s

• Is Your Workplace Actually Safe? Nervous System Regulation | Sharon Podobnik Peterson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX6Hs-CQp4c&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=3&t=1522s

• Your Voice Always Tells the Truth, Even If Your Words Don't | Barbara McAfee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CPwnUdqKwU&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=1&t=1021s

Music in this episode by Amplify Music.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast capturing insights and experiences with people who’ve navigated their own reinvention, to be more aligned with their purpose and possibilities. Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move.

Wherever you are on the reinvent yourself path, these conversations are for you.

➡️ For insights into each conversation, subscribe to the newsletter: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Catch more conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We’re recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

#PsychologicalSafety #SomaticLeadership #NervousSystemRegulation #reinventyourself #leadershipdevelopment #personaldevelopment #rogerkastner

Your Voice Always Tells the Truth, Even If Your Words Don't | Barbara McAfee

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0700

Master voice coach, singer, and TEDx speaker Barbara McAfee explains why your imposter syndrome and your most authentic self are running through the exact same instrument, your voice, and why the truth always lives in your belly rather than your head. Barbara walks host Roger Kastner through the five elements of vocal expression (earth, fire, water, metal, air), how internal family systems work applies to the "parts" behind your inner critic, and her central thesis: you can't change your voice without your life coming along for the ride.

Key Takeaways
• Imposter syndrome and your most authentic voice use the same instrument, the question is which one you let speak
• Tone of voice reveals what your words are trying to hide, since the truth lives in your belly, not your head
• Your inner critic is a "part" in internal family systems terms, and it softens when your grounded self, not the part, leads the conversation with it
• Expanding your vocal range literally expands your sense of who you are, it's not just a communication technique
• The five elements framework (earth, fire, water, metal, air) gives you access to vocal registers most people have shut off since childhood

Questions This Episode Answers
• How can I find my voice? Use simple physical entry points into each of the five elements, like yawning like a bear for an earth voice or howling like a wolf for a water voice, rather than trying to think your way into a different sound. Big, playful changes are often easier to access than small, careful ones.
• How to overcome imposter syndrome? Recognize that the same voice powering your inner critic is also the voice of your most authentic self, so the goal isn't to silence it, it's to let the unexpressed parts of you speak safely (through sound, story, or character) instead of leaking out sideways as anger, illness, or shutdown.
• How do I fix my inner critic? Treat it as a "part" that's trying to protect you, not an enemy to defeat. Have a conversation with it and let your grounded, curious self, rather than the activated part, lead that conversation.
• What does a voice coach do? Help people access vocal choices they've shut off, not replace the voice they already have. Barbara's approach is to expand someone's range (through the five elements) so they can match their voice to the moment, whether that's projecting authority or telling a story.

Chapters
0:00 The Shadow Will Speak
1:15 The Five Elements & Barbara's Air Voice Story
3:52 Ancestors, France & The Workshop That Changed Everything
7:03 IFS: The Parts Speaking Through You
9:48 How Secrets & Abuse Live in the Voice
11:23 The Decoder Ring
14:28 A Client Transformation Story
16:24 Why You Cringe at Your Voice
19:25 Five Elements Practices for Your Voice
24:30 Tone vs Words, Boundaries & Connection
27:26 Coregulation with 1,000 Strangers
30:20 Trusting Your Multi-Passionate Path
34:59 Training 85 Practitioners & The Next Generation
37:51 "It's Weird and Touchy-Feely" No Longer

Full transcript: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/your-voice-always-tells-the-truth-even-if-your-words-dont--barbara-mcafee

Resources Mentioned
• Barbara's website: https://www.barbaramcafee.com/
• Barbara's book, "Vocal Intelligence: Leading with Vitality, Presence, and Impact": https://bookshop.org/p/books/vocal-intelligence-leading-with-vitality-presence-and-impact-barbara-mcafee/d7b6df5d69ba9bb6
• Brain Rats video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOuzuMx9wP4

Watch Next
• Your Inner Critic Is Trying to Protect You | Janet Livingstone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOUomW7i2sI&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=20&t=350s

• High-Achievers Stay Stuck For This ONE Reason | Brooklyn Dicent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qLW1CMu2G8&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=14

• Is Your Workplace Actually Safe? Nervous System Regulation | Sharon Podobnik Peterson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX6Hs-CQp4c&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=5&t=1610s

Music in this episode by Amplify Music.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast capturing insights and experiences with people who’ve navigated their own reinvention, to be more aligned with their purpose and possibilities. Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move.

Wherever you are on the reinvent yourself path, these conversations are for you.

➡️ For insights into each conversation, subscribe to the newsletter: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Catch more conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We’re recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

Keywords
#FindYourVoice #ImposterSyndrome #ExecutivePresence #authenticleadership #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinventyourself #RogerKastner

Is Your Workplace Actually Safe? Nervous System Regulation | Sharon Podobnik Peterson

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0700

Sharon Podobnik Peterson, founder of the Center for Conscious Leadership, explains why trauma isn't a diagnosis, it's anything that turns patterns of connection into patterns of protection. She walks host Roger Kastner through the three lenses of trauma-informed leadership, why co-regulation is a leadership skill nobody taught you, and her "unripened tomato effect": how organizations promote emerging leaders before their nervous system capacity can support the role, and then wonder why burnout and imposter syndrome follow.

Key Takeaways
• Trauma is anything that puts sufficient pressure on a system that the response doesn't let it return to homeostasis, not just a single catastrophic event
• Trauma-informed leadership comes down to three questions: am I safe here, do I matter, and am I loved or cared for
• Defensiveness in a conversation is a signal, not a character flaw, it means someone's nervous system has already shifted from connection into protection
• Co-regulation starts with staying in tune with your own nervous system before you can help regulate someone else's
• The "unripened tomato effect": teaching people to perform executive presence without building the underlying capacity for it leads directly to burnout and imposter syndrome

Questions This Episode Answers
• What is trauma? Trauma is anything that puts enough pressure on a system to activate a protective response, and that response doesn't let the system return to its normal state afterward. It's the difference between stress that resolves and stress that gets stuck.

• What is trauma informed leadership? Leadership that engages with people from a place of safety, assuming that everyone you work with has experienced some form of trauma, and looking at nervous system safety through three lenses: the individual, the collective culture, and the systems and structures around them.

• How to not activate a trauma response in others? Stay tuned in to whether the person in front of you is still in connection or has shifted into defensiveness and protection, and give them real choice and agency, like the option to pause a conversation, rather than pushing through.

• How to regulate my nervous system? Start by staying in touch with your own state before trying to help anyone else, since you can't co-regulate someone if you're not already regulated yourself. It's less a single technique than a constant tuning to what's actually present in the room.

Chapters
0:00 What Is Trauma-Informed Leadership?
3:56 Defining Trauma: When Nervous System Regulation Fails
5:21 The Three Lenses of Trauma-Informed Leadership
8:47 Co-Regulation: How Leaders Create Nervous System Safety
13:54 Psychological Safety: Am I Safe? Do I Matter? Am I Loved?
17:00 Burnout Symptoms: The Unripened Tomato Leadership Metaphor
20:29 Holding Space: Sharon's Origin Story & Superpower
36:09 Imposter Syndrome: The Cost of Looking the Part
41:46 Leadership Development As Public Health & Well-Being Requirement

Full transcript: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/is-your-workplace-actually-safe-nervous-system-regulation-sharon-podobnik-peterson

Resources Mentioned
• Sharon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonpodobnik/
• The Center for Conscious Leadership: https://www.thecenterforconsciousleadership.com/

Watch Next
• Why You Overreact Then Regret It Instantly | Nervous System Regulation with Ashley Douglas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yim5d8FO7Oo&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=13&t=677s

• Lonely At The Top? Your Nervous System Can Help | Author and TEDx Speaker Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud41XOScx6Q&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=11&t=2643s

Music in this episode by Amplify Music.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast capturing insights and experiences with people who’ve navigated their own reinvention, to be more aligned with their purpose and possibilities. Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move.

Wherever you are on the reinvent yourself path, these conversations are for you.

➡️ For insights into each conversation, subscribe to the newsletter: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Catch more conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We’re recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

Keywords
#TraumaInformedLeadership #NervousSystemRegulation #PsychologicalSafety
#impostersyndrome #emotionalintelligence #coregulation #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinventyourself #RogerKastner

You Know It's Time To Reinvent Yourself But You're Waiting | Midlife Reinvention with Sylvia Taylor

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0700

What if the midlife reinvention you keep postponing isn't waiting for more data or a better plan, it's waiting for you to trust your gut again? For many professionals like you, career reinvention feels too big to trust your intuition and instead let the big decisions be made by spreadsheets, pros-and-cons lists, and taking the safe route of certainty.

Sylvia Taylor calls that inner signal "the sparkle." As an "adapt-ologist" who has navigated career changes across marketing, organizational development, and agile leadership, Sylvia discovered early that her most significant career pivots were never purely logical. They were intuitive. She followed what lit her up, even when the path made no sense on paper.

In this conversation, you will learn:
➡️ How to answer "Who am I beyond my job title?" without spiraling
➡️ Why your gut may be more trustworthy than your brain when considering a career reinvention
➡️ The difference between hope as a feeling and hope as a daily practice
➡️ Why hope is an amplifier for adaptability and resilience

=================

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the channel: What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
=================

In this conversation, Sylvia introduces the Adaptive Identity Game, a play-based tool she designed to answer the question that surfaces during every midlife reinvention: "If I'm not my job title, who am I?" The answer, she insists, isn't found by updating your LinkedIn profile. It's uncovered by reconnecting with the skills, traits, and metaphors that have been quietly shaping your work all along.

Sylvia shares the tool she created, the Adaptive Identity Game, a play-based tool she designed to answer the question that surfaces during every midlife reinvention: "If I'm not my job title, who am I?" The answer, she insists, isn't found by updating your LinkedIn profile. It's uncovered by reconnecting with the skills, traits, and metaphors that have been quietly shaping your work all along.

In this episode, Sylvia answers the following questions:
➡️ What does reinvent your career mean?
➡️ How can I follow my intuition?
➡️ How accurate are gut feelings?
➡️ How to be more adaptable?

My favorite quote from the episode:
"Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer." -Rainer Maria Rilke, from "Letters to a Young Poet"

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Sylvia's Adaptive Identity Game

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation for those who are in the middle of a mid-career reinvention, attempting to pivot from the old version of you, into one that is more aligned with purpose and values, and becoming more of your possible self.

These conversations are with leaders who have been at that pivot point, who’ve navigated the messy middle, and now creating more meaning in the world through their work.

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#midlifereinvention #reinventyourself #careerchange #intuition #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #careerreinvention #reinvention #adaptability #personalgrowth #RogerKastner

Arguing To Win? This Word Can Lose The Room | Nervous System Regulation with Author and TEX Speaker

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0700

In this episode, psychotherapist, author, and TEDx speaker, Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes, returns to be relational and answer real questions about applying relational capacity to difficult conversations, provide respectful candor in ways that heals not harms, and create emotional co-regulation in the moments that matter most.

In the original conversation, Kerry-Lyn shared the 8 principles of relational capacity and offered to come back to answer audience-provided questions. This is that episode!

Four audience members sent in specific questions and Kerry-Lyn’s responses went deeper than theory. The questions:
➡️ How can leaders use relational capacity to improve emotional co-regulation?
➡️ How do you address someone's dysregulation with compassion?
➡️ How do other cultures develop relational capacity that we can learn from?
➡️ Is the choice between being right and staying in relationship actually a false one?
Thank you, Mark Meadows, Wynne Leon, and April McCormick for the questions!

Her answer to the last question revealed something I didn't expect.

Kerry-Lyn identifies the early warning signal we all recognize but rarely name: the moment "but, but, but" enters your internal dialogue, you've left relational curiosity behind.

The fix isn't trying harder to convince the other person. It's admitting your own defensiveness out loud, what she calls respectful candor. That single move to vulnerability disarms the entire dynamic and invites both people back to what they're really in service of.

Throughout this conversation, from ubuntu and whakapapa, from leader vulnerability to emotional co-regulation, you'll hear her eight principles of relational capacity surface naturally; not because she's reciting a model, but because she's so deeply embedded in the work that it's become how she sees.

If you've ever walked away from a difficult conversation wondering if you could have held your ground and held the relationship, this episode was made for you.

*** Don't miss another episode with amazing guests - subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1 ***

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Kerry-Lyn’s Company: https://www.berelational.co.uk/
➡️ Kerry-Lyn’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerry-lyn-stanton-downes
➡️ Kerry-Lyn’s Substack: https://berelationalnow.substack.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose and possibilities.

Each episode is a real conversation with a guest who's navigated their own reinvention: from discovering a talent built out of something difficult, to now using their superpower in service of others. Their stories offer new perspective, validate what you already know, and inspire your next move. Wherever you are on that path, these conversations are for you.

Each conversation gives you something real: a guest's honest story, a practice or perspective you can actually use, confirmation you're on the right path, and you're not alone.

➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Visit us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#difficultconversations #nervoussystemregulation #coregulation #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinvention #RogerKastner #reinventyourself

Ignoring What’s Really Going On Weakens Your Team | Difficult Conversations with DeDe Halfhill

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0700

Most leaders know when something is off with their team but they steer clear of the difficult conversation. They sense the tension and the confusion, but they lack the courageous leadership and emotional intelligence to say the thing that everyone wants to hear. building. And the team and results suffer.

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel DeDe Halfhill says that silence is the single most expensive habit in leadership today, and it's costing leaders the very thing they're working hardest to build.

In this conversation, Roger Kastner sits down with DeDe Halfhill, retired US Air Force Colonel, former advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and now a Leadership Advisor and Speaker, to explore why difficult conversations are not a soft skill, but a high-performance discipline.

From Iraq to the boardrooms of corporate America, DeDe's message is the same: the leaders who build the strongest teams are the ones willing to say the thing nobody else will say.

In this episode you'll discover:
➡️ Why the leaders who "do hard things" are often the ones most afraid to have the hard conversation
➡️ How acknowledging the emotional reality of your team builds more trust than any strategy session
➡️ The moment DeDe realized in Iraq that speaking the truth of a shared experience changes everything
➡️ How psychological safety and difficult conversations are two sides of the same leadership coin

Colonel DeDe Halfhill retired from the U.S. Air Force after 25 years of service, including a deployment to Iraq and an advisory role to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She now works with organizations and leaders to develop the emotional intelligence and courageous leadership skills that drive real team performance because she's seen firsthand what happens when leaders choose courage over comfort, and what it costs when they don't.

If you've ever sensed something was wrong with your team but stayed quiet to avoid the discomfort this conversation is the permission slip you didn't know you needed.

The difficult conversation isn't the risk. Avoiding it is.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️DeDe’s Website
➡️DeDe’s LinkedIn

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose and possibilities. Each episode is a real conversation with a guest who's navigated their own reinvention: from discovering a talent built out of something difficult, to now using their superpower in service of others. Their stories offer new perspective, validate what you already know, and inspire your next move. Wherever you are on that path, these conversations are for you.

Each conversation gives you something real: a guest's honest story, a practice or perspective you can actually use, confirmation you're on the right path, and you're not alone.

➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#difficultconversations #courageousleadership #emotionalintelligence #psychologicalsafety #leadershipdevelopment #mindset #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinvention #RogerKastner #reinventyourself

Why Smart People Freeze When It’s Time To Choose | Decision Making Insights with Nil Demircubuk

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

You know when you are overthinking and second guessing a decision, and then once you make the decision you realize your first instinct was right all along? And then there are the other times when you realize gut was dead wrong. That's the paradox of intuition: it's powerful, but it's not always right. And most advice about it falls into one of two camps: "always trust your gut" or "stick to the data." Neither is the full picture.

In this conversation, Nil Demircubuk makes the case for a third option: discernment. Your intuition is ready but it's one input, not the only input. The real superpower is knowing when to trust it, when to lean on logic, and when to go get more information before you decide.

Nil is an Intuition Facilitator and author of “Down to Earth: Demystify Intuition to Upgrade your Life,” and she although she came to learn her superpower was intuition, her education and vocation were deep into analytics and logic.

Nil introduces "priming" as a practical method to access your intuition on demand, not as a replacement for rational thinking, but as a complement to it. She breaks down how to tell the difference between an intuitive hit and a fear-based story, and offers a framework for making decisions that draws on both your inner knowing and your analytical mind.

If you've been second-guessing decisions you used to make with confidence... if you're tired of going in circles when the stakes are high... this conversation is an invitation to stop overthinking and start discerning.

What you'll take away from this conversation:
☑️ Why "trust your gut" is incomplete advice…and what to do instead
☑️ The priming method: how to intentionally access your intuition on demand
☑️ How to tell the difference between intuition and fear-based thinking
☑️ When intuition is the right input — and when logic or more information is what you actually need
☑️ A simple experiment to try after this episode to strengthen your discernment muscle

In this episode, Nil answers the following questions:
☑️What is intuition?
☑️How to develop intuition?
☑️How to stop overthinking?
☑️How to reduce anxiety?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Nil’s Website: https://nildemircubuk.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose and possibilities. Each episode is a real conversation with a guest who's navigated their own reinvention: from discovering a talent built out of something difficult, to now using their superpower in service of others. Their stories offer new perspective, validate what you already know, and inspire your next move. Wherever you are on that path, these conversations are for you.

Each conversation gives you something real: a guest's honest story, a practice or perspective you can actually use, confirmation you're on the right path, and you're not alone.

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#Overthinking #intuition #logic #overthinking #howtodevelopintuition #decisionmaking #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinventyourself #RogerKastner

Lonely At The Top? Your Nervous System Can Help | Author and TEDx Speaker Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes

Thu, 07 May 2026 06:00:00 -0700

That feeling of it being lonely at the top, it's not a leadership job requirement. It's a signal that you're going against your nature.

And yet most leadership development doesn't talk about the impact of loneliness on performance, burnout, and well-being. Not enough at least.

Psychologist, TEDx speaker, and author Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes makes a bold case: our brains are relational organs, wired to regulate, heal, grow, and perform through connection with others. Yet most leaders have accepted the story that loneliness is just the cost of leadership.

In this conversation, Kerry-Lyn unpacks why that story is costing more than we think. When leaders prioritize task over relationship, what looks like discipline on the outside is actually the early signs of relational drift. Over time, that impacts not only the leader, but the team's working relationship and performance.

Kerry-Lyn introduces the concept of relational poverty, the barrenness in the space between us where we can't repair, can't challenge, can't think together. It's not just a personal cost; it's systemic. When a leader's nervous system is in survival mode, that state becomes the relational climate for the entire team. People start managing the leader instead of collaborating with them.

The good news: Kerry-Lyn offers a framework for building relational capacity through eight principles: presence, curiosity, reflection, vulnerability, being in service, navigating difference, a mindset of abundance, and repair. And you don't need all eight. Start with one.

For a leader already running on empty, the first step isn't adding more to their plate, it's regulating their own nervous system so they can show up for others.

This conversation is for any leader who feels the weight of isolation and suspects there might be a different way.

BONUS: Kerry-Lyn offered to join us for a follow-up episode to answer your questions. If you want to ask Kerry-Lyn a question, drop a comment in the YouTube version of the episode. Thank you!

In this episode, Kerry-Lyn answers the following questions:
- Why is leadership so lonely?
- What is the cost of loneliness?
- What is one thing a Leader can do about loneliness?
- How do I develop more relationships?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Kerry-Lyn’s Company
- Kerry-Lyn’s LinkedIn
- Kerry-Lyn’s Substack

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose and possibilities.

Each episode is a real conversation with a guest who's navigated their own reinvention: from discovering a talent built out of something difficult, to now using their superpower in service of others. Their stories offer new perspective, validate what you already know, and inspire your next move. Wherever you are on that path, these conversations are for you.

Each conversation gives you something real: a guest's honest story, a practice or perspective you can actually use, confirmation you're on the right path, and you're not alone.

➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Visit the Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#Leadership #loneliness #Burnout #LeadershipDevelopment #wellbeing #LonelyAtTheTop
#personaldevelopment #RogerKastner #reinventyourself

'Joy Killer' Boss? What They Couldn't Take | Burnout Recovery with Sheryl Raphael Whitaker

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0700

Burnout starts when we're operate outside of our zone of genius, out of alignment with our values, and when we've lost touch with our joy.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker has spent the majority of her career making a case most leadership conversations are afraid to make. Joy is not a reward. It's an operating system. As a leadership coach, talent strategist, author of “It Starts with Joy,” and a host of a weekly show by the same name, Sheryl says difference between those two mindsets changes everything about how you lead.

Her frame starts with a mindset shift that sounds deceptively simple. Many leaders spend their careers believing that joy is not something one can expect at work. They focus their personal development on building skills and capabilities instead of understanding what makes them tick.

Joy at work isn't something you unlock when conditions improve. It's an internal alignment that runs underneath everything, steady and available, regardless of what's happening around you.

Sheryl also draws a line that most personal development conversations tend to blur. You're either leading from joy or from fear. That's not a criticism. It's a diagnosis. Most of what we call toxic leadership, she says, is just fear that never got named.

What makes her approach to authentic leadership different is where she locates it. Joy isn't the reward waiting at the end of a hard season. It's your chief operating officer, running before the meeting starts, before the difficult conversation, before the decision that keeps you up at night. Sheryl knows what it costs an organization when leaders hand that operating system over to their circumstances.

This conversation is for the leader, coach, and OD professional who knows something feels misaligned but hasn't found the language for it yet.

Sheryl's invitation is direct. You don't have to wait for conditions to be right.

You can lead from who you actually are, right now, even when the people around you are hiding it.

In this episode, Sheryl answers the following questions:
- How to find more joy in your work?
- How to be happy at work when you hate it?
- How to make work fun and enjoyable?
- As a leader, am I allowed to have fun and experience joy?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Sheryl’s LinkedIn
- Sheryl’s Book: https://itstartswithjoy.com/
- It Starts With Joy Live: https://www.youtube.com/@itstartswithjoylive
- Sheryl’s Company: https://www.edenanthonyelitetalent.com/
- Derek Sievers’ How to start a movement

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: WhatDoYouKnowToBe True.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#burnout #leadership #burnoutrecovery #authenticleadership #personaldevelopment #leadershipcoach #mindset

You're Leading Alone and It's Costing You | Executive Coaching with Dan Freehling

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0700

If you are thinking about becoming a leadership coach, you probably have a lot of questions, such as am I ready? Do I have the skills and experience? What do I have to offer? Do I have the right mindset for leadership development?

Executive Coach, Dan Freehling has worked with hundreds of leaders through their most defining career moments, and he believes you may be more ready than you think.

But what will make you an effective leadership coach is not what you think.
In this conversation, Dan shares what it actually takes to be the leadership coach that leaders want in their corner.

Dan has worked with hundreds of leaders through the company he founded, Contempus Leadership. Dan also interviews some of those leaders on his podcast, Forward-Looking Leadership, where Dan continues to explore the challenges and possibilities those leaders face to help others with their leadership development journey.

In this conversation, Dan shares with us …
➡️ What it’s like to be in the corner with a leader
➡️ How to show up and be present in some of the biggest challenges in a leader’s career, and
➡️ What Dan believes you already have to offer, and why you may be more ready than you think.

A few months back, Dan had Roger on the Forward-Looking Leadership podcast, you can check that out here:
▶️https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK0eg3ImGCA&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUaixAVciyauJWZwkBKaOS_&index=2&t=22s

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Dan’s LinkedIn
➡️ Dan’s Company: Contempus Leadership

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation for those who are in the middle of a mid-career reinvention, attempting to pivot from the old version of you, into one that is more aligned with purpose and values, and becoming more of your possible self.

These conversations are with leaders who have been at that pivot point, who’ve navigated the messy middle, and now creating more meaning in the world through their work.

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#executivecoach #personaldevelopment #leadership #reinventyourself #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipcoaching #rogerkastner

How to Overcome Limiting Beliefs with Brooklyn Dicent UN and TEDx Speaker

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0700

You already have everything you need to build the life you want. The only thing standing between you and it?

Your beliefs haven't caught up…yet. And the limiting beliefs you do have are impacting your personal development.

Our guest, Brooklyn Dicent, reveals why high-achievers stay stuck on their personal growth path even when they know exactly what they want. What they need is a shift in their mindset.

Brooklyn is an expert in activating people to shift their state. With recent speeches at TEDx and at the United Nations, she brings together the science of the subconscious mind and the practical tools of belief change to help high-achievers unlock the life they've always known is possible.

Brooklyn shows how the same mindset tools that built your current life can be reprogrammed, at the subconscious level, to build the one you actually want.

What You'll Discover:
• Why you will never outperform your beliefs, and how to change them
• How your thoughts quietly create your results, both positively and negatively
• What "theta state" is and why it's your brain's natural reprogramming window
• Why comfort is the real enemy of the life you want
• How to make SHIFT happen using the tools you already have

In this episode, Brooklyn answers the following questions:
• How to rewrite our limiting beliefs?
• How to get rid of limiting beliefs?
• How do I make a change in my beliefs?
• How do I get unstuck?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
• Brooklyn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooklyndicent/
• Brooklyn’s Website: https://www.brooklyndicent.com/
• Brooklyn’s App: makeshifthappen.app

Chapters
0:00 Activating People to Shift Their Mindset
0:30 Introducing How Making Shift Happens
1:49 Welcome Brooklyn Dicent
2:41 Superpower of Activating People to Shift Their State
4:54 Embracing the Change You Want to See
7:24 Limiting and Liberating Beliefs
10:49 Brooklyn’s Path to Discovering Superpower
13:27 Discovering the Power of Beliefs through Neuroscience
18:13 How To Subconsciously Change Your Beliefs
23:48 Inspiration for Brooklyn’s Superpower
27:13 You Already Have The Tools You Need To Change Your Life
30:00 What Brooklyn Knows To Be True About Making Shift Happen
31:15 Making it Simple AND Easy To Shift Your Life
32:28 Becoming vs. Improving – You Are Not Deficient
36:01 Everyone Has Greatness Within Them – They Just Have to Choose it
39:07 Making the Decision to Shifting to Become More of Who You Are Supposed To Be
47:33 What’s Next: Write It Down, Make It Happen
48:41 Brooklyn at the UN – The Calling to Become Our Most Possible Selves

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people.

To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#limitingbeliefs #successmindset #personalgrowth, #personaldevelopment #subconsciousmind #selfconfidence #howtobuildconfidence #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #mindset

Why You Overreact Then Regret It Instantly | Nervous System Regulation with Ashley Douglas

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0700

Curious about nervous system regulation, stress relief, and having more control over your emotional state? You're going want to listen to Ashley Douglas.

Do you ever feel like your brain is conspiring against you? Whether it's anxiety about an upcoming event, or in the moment, someone says something and your stress and fears levels overtake your thinking. That's not a character flaw. That's your wiring trying to protect you.

And today’s guest, Ashley Douglas, shares a deep fascination with neuroscience, highlighting its power to explain human behavior and automatic responses that occur before we're even aware of our emotional state.

Ashley aims to clarify that perceived personal struggles are often not inherent flaws, but rather functions of our neurobiology, fostering a positive mindset. It's about understanding ourselves better for personal growth and improved well-being and mental health. If you're looking to integrate science and self-understanding for personal development, this discussion is for you.

Ashley shares that with an understanding of neuroscience and nervous system regulation, you can take back the wheel, overcome your anxiety, and regain your control, confidence, and calm presence.

With an understanding of neuroscience and nervous system regulation, you can take back the wheel and know what you can do to regain your calm and confidence presence.

In this episode, Roger Kastner sits down with Ashley Douglas, an applied-neuroscience leadership advisor, resilience strategist, and burnout survivor, to explore what it actually looks like to lead from a regulated state, not just a managed one.

In the course of trying to make sense of her reaction to three traumatic events, Ashley found brain science. It changed everything. Now she's here to share it.

What you'll learn in this conversation:
➡️Why your nervous system reacts before you can think, and why it's wiring, not your weakness
➡️The simple action that brings your prefrontal cortex back online
➡️What nervous system regulation actually looks like in high-stakes leadership moments
➡️How to stop managing your reactions and start re-patterning them

Ashley Douglas is an applied-neuroscience leader advisor and resilience strategist who partners with founders and senior executives at the intersection of performance, identity, and purpose.

In this episode, Ashley answers the following questions:
➡️ How to regulate the nervous system?
➡️ How to calm down anxiety?
➡️ How to reset nervous system from trauma?
➡️ How to regain a sense of control?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Ashley’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleydouglas/
➡️ Ashley’s Substack: https://ashleydouglasbusiness.substack.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to:
https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#anxiety #nervoussystemregulation #mindset #burnout #wellbeing #mentalhealth

Still Designing The ‘Perfect Plan’? Become A Good Tryer | Stop Overthinking with Wynne Leon

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0800

What if you could stop waiting for the “perfect plan” and start building your next chapter one smart experiment at a time?

For a lot of proven leaders, coaches, and consultants, that constant need to “get it right” turns into overthinking and the feeling of being stuck.

This conversation offers a practical way to move from overthinking to intentional trying without blowing up the life you’ve already built.

I’m joined by Wynne Leon, whose superpower is being a very good trier. She shares how changing your mindset from creating big perfect plans to testing small experiments can be the fast track for personal development.

As the CEO of her own consulting company, an amateur mountain climber, and the host of the “How to Share” podcast, Wynne demonstrates the courage it takes to boldly try new things.

You’ll hear how Wynne…
➡️ uses structured trying, that is one change at a time,
➡️ documenting what happens, and
➡️ “undoing” when it doesn’t work
…to turn big, scary changes into a series of small, reversible moves.

We talk about the difference between reckless risk and calculated experiments, how to know when to turn back (her mountain “turnaround time” principle), and why you don’t actually need certainty to move forward.

If you’re ready to trade the pressure of having it all figured out for the energy and courage of learning as you go, this conversation is your invitation.

You don’t have to blow everything up to become more of your true self. You can try, reflect, learn, adjust, repeat.

In this episode, Wynne answers the following questions:
➡️ How to create small experiments for personal growth?
➡️ How to create a personal development plan?
➡️How to create a safe growth plan?
➡️How do you figure out your next step in life?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Wynne’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/
➡️How to Share podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0qInZdzg1Xn3Xac1IMh2z0?si=5e910a4419784495

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose and possibilities. Each episode is a real conversation with a guest who's navigated their own reinvention: from discovering a talent built out of something difficult, to now using their superpower in service of others. Their stories offer new perspective, validate what you already know, and inspire your next move. Wherever you are on that path, these conversations are for you.

Each conversation gives you something real: a guest's honest story, a practice or perspective you can actually use, confirmation you're on the right path, and you're not alone.

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#burnout #perfectionism #overthinking #Fearoffailure #mindset #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinventyourself #RogerKastner

Resilience is a Solo Sport? You're Doing It Wrong | Building Resilience with Bill Hefferman

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0800

If you have been trying to build resilience by "toughening up" and isolating yourself, you are likely feeling more exhausted than empowered. For many in leadership, the path of personal development and the transition from climbing the corporate ladder to living in alignment with your values and purpose brings a unique kind of fatigue. We often feel we have to hide our struggles to maintain our authority, but this "lone wolf" mentality is a fast path to burnout.

In this episode, resilience expert Bill Hefferman reveals why true adaptability isn't a solo sport…it is a team effort. We explore why the most resilient leaders aren't the ones who endure alone, but the ones who have the mindset to build deep connections and psychological safety with others.

If you are a coach, organizational leader, or professional feeling the weight of your own 'reinvention,' this conversation offers a permission slip to stop white-knuckling your evolution. We discuss how to shift from 'powering through' to building a network of support that makes everyone stronger.
Bill shares a simple, three-step process to help you navigate the messy 'neutral zone' of career transitions without losing your sense of self. We also discuss why 'collective resilience' is the missing link for teams that want to bounce back better from adversity."

We also discuss why "collective resilience" is the missing link for teams that want to bounce back better from adversity.

In this conversation, Bill shares…
➡️ 3 ways we can improve our resilience today
➡️ Why resilience thrives in higher performing teams
➡️ Why some people who experience the same traumatic experience, increase their resilience while others have a very different reaction.

This is Bill's second time on 'What Do You Know To Be True?" Check out Episode #3:
▶️"How to Build Resilience and Adaptability": https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/resilience-and-adaptability-with-bill-hefferman

In this episode, Bill answers the following questions:
➡️ How to be a resilient person?
➡️ What is emotionally resilient?
➡️ How to be a good teammate?
➡️ How to create more resilient teams

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Bill Hefferman’s company: https://www.billhefferman.com/
➡️ Leadership Resilience Quotient Assessment: https://www.billhefferman.com/lrq-assessment
➡️ Individual Resilience Quotient Assessment: https://www.billhefferman.com/irq-assessment
➡️ The 7 C’s of Resilience: https://www.billhefferman.com/insights-offcanvas/tools-templates/7cs-rapid-resilience-reset-worksheet

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: What Do You Know To Be True?

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#resilience #building resilience #adaptability #flexibility #posttraumaticgrowth #PersonalDevelopment #Leadership #psychologicalsafety #leadershipdevelopment #reinventyourself #rogerKastner

You Want The Answer Before You Begin, It's Keeping You Stuck | Reinvent Yourself with Jillian Reilly

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0800

What's holding us back from discovering our true selves is usually permission...the permission we need to give ourselves to act when we don't have the answers. In this conversation on What Do You Know To Be True?, we explore why growth, meaning, and motivation are only possible when we give ourselves permission to engage with the world and with other people.

If you’re asking questions like…
➡️ How do I find my purpose?
➡️ What am I capable of?
➡️ What is my potential?
…this conversation offers a powerful reframe.

Personal development isn’t about waiting until you have clarity or confidence. It’s about being willing to act, experiment, and learn, even when you don’t have the answers.

My guest, Jillian Reilly, shares why giving yourself permission to grow is one of the most essential leadership and life skills today.

Drawing from decades of work in global change, leadership development, and coaching leaders, from working on the first elections in post-Apartheid South Africa to helping people with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, she challenges the idea that growth happens through introspection alone.

We talk about why discovering your potential is relational, not solitary. Why comfort zones keep us small. And how acting without having all the answers becomes a gateway to adaptability, creativity, resilience, and purpose in a rapidly changing world.

This episode is especially relevant for coaches, leaders, org development professionals, and small business owners who help others unlock their potential and are navigating their own questions of meaning, direction, and impact.

*** Don't miss another episode with amazing guests l- subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1 ***

In this episode, Jillian answers the following questions:
➡️ How do I find my purpose?
➡️ What is my potential?
➡️ What is holding me back?
➡️ How do I achieve personal growth?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Jillian’s Book: “The Ten Permissions: Redefining the Rules of Adulting in the 21st Century”
➡️Jillian on LinkedIn

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation for those who are in the middle of a mid-career reinvention, attempting to pivot from the old version of you, into one that is more aligned with purpose and values, and becoming more of your possible self.

These conversations are with leaders who have been at that pivot point, who’ve navigated the messy middle, and now creating more meaning in the world through their work.

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#reinventyourself #reinvention #careerchange #midlifereinvention #growthmindset #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #personalgrowth #careerreinvention #startingover #leadership #RogerKastner

The Exhausting Cost of Not Being Authentic | Personal Branding with Jess Jensen

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0800

Are you a leader who struggles with personal branding, or maybe you’re unsure how to create a personal brand that actually feels like you? Many leadership coaches and small business owners struggle with a personal brand strategy and self-promotion because it feels inauthentic or overwhelming.

But in today’s digital world, having a defined personal brand strategy isn’t just about vanity, it’s a mindset and a critical tool for unlocking your potential and amplifying your impact.

In this episode, I sit down with digital brand and communications expert Jess Jensen to demystify the process of building a personal brand.

We break down why most leaders get this wrong (hint: it’s not about bragging or the fear of looking like you’re bragging) and how you can shift your mindset to view branding as an act of service. Jess shares her own journey of discovering her superpower and how she helps others do the same.

You will learn a practical personal branding strategy and framework designed specifically for busy professionals. We cover Jess’s 5-step framework that takes you from “I don’t know what to post” to having a clear, confident voice on platforms like LinkedIn.

Whether you are looking to attract more clients or establish yourself as a thought leader, this conversation provides the direction and inspiration you need.

We also dive deep into authentic leadership and why your unique values are the strongest foundation for your content. If you have been waiting for permission to show up as your true self, this is it. By the end of this video, you’ll have actionable clarity on your audience, your message, and your mission.

++++++++++
SPECIAL OFFER: Jess is offering a free LinkedIn Profile audit for the month of February 2026. To sign up:
1️⃣Go to https://calendly.com/jessjensen-copilotcommunications/25min

2️⃣ Set up a meeting on Jess' calendar, and in the notes section, mention this podcast and leave a link to your LinkedIn profile.

Thank you, Jess, for the generous offer!
++++++++++

*** Don't miss another episode with amazing guests l- subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1 ***

In this episode, Jess answers the following questions:
➡️ What is a personal brand?
➡️ What is my personal brand?
➡️ How to build my personal brand?
➡️ How to build my personal brand on social media?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Jess’ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakjensen/
➡️Jess’ Company, Co-pilot Communications: https://www.copilotcommunications.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact in the world.

This podcast is for coaches, org development professionals, small business owners, people leaders, and anyone who is working on their leadership capabilities and personal growth in their pursuit of unlocking and living into their possibilities.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://WhatDoYouKnowToBeTrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#personalbranding #personalbrand #howtobuildapersonalbrand #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinventyourself #branding #rogerkastner

Stuck Fighting Your Inner Critic? Try Parts Work | IFS Coach Janet Livingstone

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0800

Do you feel successful on paper but stuck in reality? High achievers often self-sabotage not because they lack discipline, but because they're challenged to break the patterns that get in the way of their personal development. And then there's imposter syndrome that rears its head. Janet Livingstone reveals exactly how to use Internal Family Systems to break this cycle and reverse imposter syndrome.

IFS Coach, Janet Livingstone and I explore how Internal Family Systems or IFS coaching and the practice of holding space can help deepen your relationship with yourself, to increase personal growth and healing, so you are more ready to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact in the world.

What if the very patterns holding you back are trying to protect you?

If you’ve ever felt stuck, conflicted, or unsure why certain patterns, inner critics, or emotional reactions keep showing up, this conversation offers a powerful reframe. IFS coaching helps purpose-driven people…
➡️develop more self-leadership
➡️create emotional regulation, and
➡️increase compassion for the parts of themselves that get in the way
…without trying to “fix” them.

For those on the path to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact, other guests have shared that improving your understanding of and relationship with yourself is big accelerator.

And today’s guest, Janet Livingstone, helps others develop that deeper understanding of themselves.

Janet is an IFS-informed executive coach, an organizational development consultant, and facilitator.

And in this conversation, she gives one of the best descriptions of what IFS is, and the difference between using IFS in therapy and in coaching.

Her superpower is helping others heal, and she shares her experiences as an IFS coach and a trained integration facilitator for clients who have gone on guided psychedelic journeys and want help in making sense of the new neural pathways they’ve created.

In this episode, Janet answers the following questions:
➡️ What is Internal Family Systems or IFS?
➡️ What is IFS Coaching?
➡️ What is psychedelic journey integration?
➡️ What is IFS Team Coaching?

My favorite quote from the episode:
“It is a spiritual experience to witness someone else’s healing.”

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Janet’s Website
➡️ Janet’s LinkedIn

Chapters
0:00 Intro & Welcome
2:36 What is Internal Family Systems or IFS Coaching?
6:14 Understanding Parts: Inner Critics, Protectors, and Exiles
12:35 IFS Coaching vs Internal Family Systems Therapy: What’s the Difference?
17:01 How IFS Helps Leaders and Coaches Hold Space
25:50 Psychedelic Integration and Emotional Healing
30:29 Healing PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety: What the Research Says
33:26 What Inspired Janet’s Superpower of Helping Others Heal
37:57 What Janet Knows To Be True About Helping Others Heal
39:45 Bringing IFS Coaching Into Teams and Organizations

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose and possibilities. Each episode is a real conversation with a guest who's navigated their own reinvention: from discovering a talent built out of something difficult, to now using their superpower in service of others. Their stories offer new perspective, validate what you already know, and inspire your next move. Wherever you are on that path, these conversations are for you.

Each conversation gives you something real: a guest's honest story, a practice or perspective you can actually use, confirmation you're on the right path, and you're not alone.

➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Visit us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

Keywords
#personaldevelopment #internalfamilysystems #personalgrowth #impostersyndrome #ifs #IFSCoaching #rogerKastner #leadershipdevelopment

You're Always the Strong One? Why You're Running on Empty | Burnout Recovery with Sweta Vikram

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0800

Exhausted and out of balance? Feeling burnout? You’ve hit the metrics. You’ve secured the title. You’ve done everything 'right.' So why does winning feel so draining? If you feel like life is rushing by while you're stuck on a hamster wheel of productivity, you aren't broken—you're just out of rhythm.

In this conversation, Ayurvedic Doctor and Corporate Wellness Expert, Sweta Vikram reveals why 'time management' is failing you and how to finally align your energy with your impact." It's about leadership effectiveness and how to increase impact as a leader. Sweta says the path to effective leadership is through finding balance, exploring our true self, and showing up with more kindness.

For leaders drowning in chaos and responsibility, Sweta offers a lifeline: "Burnout happens in chaos, healing happens in routines." She explains how high performers and executives can prevent burnout by understanding their natural rhythms and creating sustainable practices that honor both ambition and wellbeing.

Drawing from 5,000 years of Ayurvedic wisdom, Sweta shares how self-awareness and presence can transform leadership from performative to profound.

This episode challenges the traditional leadership playbook that prioritizes doing over being, competition over compassion, and performance over presence.

In this conversation, you'll discover:
➡️ Why "healing begins when people start to feel visible" and what this means for your team
➡️ How to recognize signs of imbalance in yourself and your leadership style
➡️ The difference between being kind and being nice—and why it matters
➡️ Practical ways to pause, reflect, and show up more authentically as a leader
➡️ How ancient Ayurvedic principles apply to modern workplace challenges

Whether you're a proven executive, an emerging leader, or a coach supporting others, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on what truly makes leadership sustainable and impactful.

Subscribe to What Do You Know To Be True? for more conversations that unlock your leadership potential.

In this episode, Sweta answers the following questions:
➡️What is Ayurveda?
➡️How to be more valuable as a leader?
➡️How to make people feel seen?
➡️How to be more mindful as a leader?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Sweta’s Website: https://www.swetavikram.com/
➡️Sweta’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swetavikram
➡️Sweta’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swetavikram

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.
39:42 Lightning Round

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose and possibilities.

Each episode is a real conversation with a guest who's navigated their own reinvention: from discovering a talent built out of something difficult, to now using their superpower in service of others. Their stories offer new perspective, validate what you already know, and inspire your next move. Wherever you are on that path, these conversations are for you.

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the site: What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

Each conversation gives you something real: a guest's honest story, a practice or perspective you can actually use, confirmation you're on the right path to reinvent yourself, and you're not alone.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#burnoutrecovery #burnout #emotionalintelligence #ayurveda #empathy #personaldevelopment #possibilities #reinventyourself #superpower #leadershipdevelopment #rogerkastner

You're Doing Everything Right But You're Not Really There | Presence with Executive Coach Joel Monk

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0800

As a leader or coach, you are trained to have a plan. You drive the agenda, you solve the problem, you move the ball forward. But what if your leadership or coaching need to "drive" is actually causing you to miss the most important thing in the room?

In this "What Do You Know To Be True?" conversation with Joel Monk, co-founder of Coaches Rising, we explore his superpower: "Tending to the Emergent." This isn't just about being a good listener, it is the active practice of being so present that you can sense what is trying to be created in the moment, rather than forcing what you think should happen.

Whether you are coaching a client through a breakthrough or leading a team through uncertainty, the inability to be present means you are operating on old data. You are reacting to the past, rather than attending to what is emerging right now. Joel reveals how we can heal the parts of us that run from the present, allowing us to finally tune in to the hidden possibilities waiting in every conversation.

If you feel like you are working hard but missing the "magic" in your interactions, this conversation will invite you to stop forcing outcomes and start tending to the emergent.

In this conversation, Joel shares how leadership presence, awareness, and tending to what’s emerging can unlock deeper impact in coaching and leadership conversations.

As a demonstration of Joel’s curiosity and his superpower of tending to the emergent, Joel gets me to share some key things from hosting the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast about how we discover our superpowers, unlock our potential, and make meaningful impact in our communities:
➡️the common themes of people using their superpowers
➡️the path that 9/10 times guests develop their superpowers
➡️the building blocks of potential

In this episode, Joel answers the following questions:
➡️How to be more aware of what's possible?
➡️How to be more emotionally present?
➡️Why do I struggle to be present?
➡️How to be more mindful?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Joel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-monk-33952613/
➡️Coaches Rising: https://www.coachesrising.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation for those who are in the middle of a mid-career reinvention, attempting to pivot from the old version of you, into one that is more aligned with purpose and values, and becoming more of your possible self.

These conversations are with leaders who have been at that pivot point, who’ve navigated the messy middle, and now creating more meaning in the world through their work.

Want more info about What Do You Know To Be True?
➡️ Check out the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1
➡️ Subscribe to the What Do You Know To Be True? newsletter to get insights into each conversation: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#presence #mindfulness #executivecoaching #leadershipdevelopment #executivecoach #personaldevelopment #emotionalintelligence #coaching #leadership #beingpresent #reinventyourself #RogerKastner

Stop Hiding Your Truth | What's Possible When You Speak Up | Dr. Lalith Wijedoru

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0800

In this conversation, Dr. Lalith Wijedoru talks about discovering his superpower by speaking his uncomfortable truths through storytelling, which allowed him to unlock his potential and possibilities for creating space for others to share their stories.

And while speaking one’s uncomfortable truths has its perils, Lalith makes meaningful impact in the organizations and communities he’s involved with, because that is how others heal, grow, and deepen relationships, it’s also how he continues to grow and create deeper social connections.

Lalith discovered his superpower by speaking his own uncomfortable truths, so he’s very aware of what is required and what may happen when one shares their uncomfortable truths.

In the conversation, Lalith goes on to share…
➡️ What it takes to tell an uncomfortable truth
➡️ What resistance to expect when telling an uncomfortable truth
➡️ Why the rewards of telling your comfortable truth are better than staying silent

Lalith’s first career was as Dr. Wijedoru, an emergency department pediatric doctor, because he wanted to provide the care and safeguarding of children that he did not receive as a child.

Now he’s in his second career as a well-being consultant, a storyteller, and founder of Behind Your Mask, an organization that creates the spaces and skills for speaking uncomfortable truths through storytelling.

In this episode, Lalith answers the following questions:
➡️ What are uncomfortable truths?
➡️ How to tell someone an uncomfortable truth?
➡️ How to speak your truth?
➡️ How to tell stories about your past?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Truth can disrupt and truth can destroy, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

When not telling an uncomfortable truth protects something that causes and prolongs harm, it’s not worth protecting. In many relationships and families there are unspoken truths where we’ve been told it’s safer not tell the truth. In terms of actual healing, that’s bullshit. It only amplifies and prolongs the hurt.

If you are in need of talking to someone, there are organizations available to help.
ℹ️ In the US, for Mental Health Crises And Suicide Prevention: Dial 9-8-8

ℹ️ In the UK, for Mental Health Crises And Suicide Prevention: Dial 1-1-1

🌈 If you are an LGBTQ+ young person in need of support, you can reach out to The Trevor Project crisis counselors, available 24/7,
💜 https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
🧡 Text “START” to 678-678
💛 Call at 1-866-488-7386

ℹ️ To find a therapist or counseling, you can try BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Lalith’s Company, Behind Your Mask
- Lalith’s LinkedIn

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#authenticleadership #childhoodtrauma #emotionalintelligence #mentalhealth #vulnerability #personaldevelopment #traumainformedleadership #healingchildhoo

Saying Yes to Everyone Is Costing You More Than You Think | Suzanne Weller on Connection

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0800

You love people. You love connecting them. But lately, your "superpower" of community building feels more like a drain than a gift. You not wanting to hide; you are a "Super-Connector" who has run out of burners on the stove.

In this episode, Suzanne Weller, an unapologetic extrovert and master connector and community builder, reveals the surprising truth about connection burnout. It’s not about doing less; it’s about the "Inventory of Honesty." It's about energy management. It's about having the mindset to grow your personal development does not require over-extending yourself and not setting boundaries.

We discuss why high performers often over-give to their communities, and how to tell the difference between a "generative" space that fuels you and a "draining" one that depletes you.

If you feel like you're constantly holding space for others but have nothing left for yourself, this conversation offers a new framework. Learn how to treat your Time, Energy, and Attention as finite resources, and why saying "no" to some connections is the only way to say an authentic "yes" to the communities that matter.

For Suzanne Weller, there’s something she’s learned to be even more important than reading other people which has helped her grow her superpower and her impact. As a leadership coach, a public speaker, a storyteller, a founder of her own consulting firm, and host of The Courage Effect podcast, she has a lot of experience being able to read people and rooms.

But that is not the most valuable skill she’s learned as a connector and a community builder.

In this episode, Suzanne answers the following questions:
➡️How do I become a connector?
➡️What makes someone a good connector?
➡️How do I build a community?
➡️How to build community when you feel isolated?

My favorite quote from the episode: “It’s the trade-off idea. If you say ‘no,’ then you get to say ‘yes’ to something else. And if I say ‘yes’ to this, I have to say ‘no’ to something else.”

Suzanne is speaking to the need to find a balance in commitments and agreements, and how easy it is as an extrovert, a connector, and a community-builder to over-extend oneself. Even if it’s a superpower, operating out of balance is the fast lane to burnout.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
▶️Suzanne’s company Weller Collaboration
▶️Suzanne’s LinkedIn
▶️Podcast: The Courage Effect
▶️Book: “The Lion Women of Tehran" by Marjan Kamali

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#PeoplePleasing #HowToSayNo #Burnout #mentalhealth #howtostoppeoplepleasing #relationships

The Courage To Become The True You | Insights from Danielle Letayf

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0700

This is a conversation with Danielle Letayf, and how she discovered her superpower to help other develop their personal brand and have the courage to unlock their possibilities and rewrite the stories they tell so they can make meaningful impact in the communities they serve.

We spend the first half of our careers building a reputation, a resume, and a safety net. But what happens when the "success" you built starts to feel like a cage? Logic tells you to be grateful, to stay the course, and to keep performing. But deep down, you know the truth: you aren't just tired; you're misaligned.

The courage to reinvent yourself isn't about blowing up your life, it's about finally being honest about who you've become as you go through a career transition and explore personal development.

In this conversation with Danielle Letayf, founder of Badassery, we explore the terrifying but necessary work of the "Identity Shift." Danielle opens up about her own pivot, shutting down a successful arm of her business not because it failed, but because it no longer aligned with her truth.

We discuss the subtle difference between "quitting" and "evolving," why your logic is often just fear in a suit, and how to navigate the messy middle of reinvention without losing your mind.

If you feel the itch to pivot but don't know if you're allowed to change your mind, this episode is your permission slip. It’s time to stop performing and start being.
Danielle shares three key lessons in this conversation for the process of developing your personal brand:
1️⃣A willingness to go into uncomfortable places
2️⃣The courage to do the hard work
3️⃣It will be a grind

As you can imagine, if you were getting up on stage or about to be interviewed on a podcast, you might have a little imposter syndrome.

If you’re lucky enough to know Danielle, she’d likely share her surprising attitude towards Imposter Syndrome, which she shares in this conversation too.

In this episode, Danielle answers the following questions:
➡️What does rewriting your story mean?
➡️How do you rewrite your own story?
➡️How do you develop your personal brand?
➡️ Who can help me develop my personal brand?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Danielle’s company: Badassery
➡️Danielle’s LinkedIn

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#reinvention #identityshift #personalbranding #howtopivotcareers #communitiestheyserve #careertransition #personaldevelopment #overcomingfearofchange #authenticleadership #listeningtointuition #reinventingyourself #careerpivot #identityshift #careertransition #fearofchange #authenticleadership #becomingmoreofyourpersonalself #whatdoyouknowtobetrue #danielleletayf #rogerkastner

Stop Trying To 'Fix' Yourself - You Are Not Deficient | Author Jules Kuroda

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700

You have likely spent years trying on your personal development journey trying to "fix" yourself. You’ve read the books, attended the workshops, and analyzed your weaknesses, hoping that once you finally polish away your flaws, you’ll feel complete. But what if the very act of trying to "fix" yourself is exactly what keeps you stuck?

What if you are enough already? (Spoiler Alert: You Are!)

We are often sold a lie that we are deficient, that who we are inherently isn’t enough, and we need to build a "better" version of ourselves to succeed. But this constant renovation project only leads to exhaustion. You aren't broken; you just need a mindset shift towards being your own source of power.

In this conversation with coach and author Jules Kuroda, we explore dismantling the "Self-Improvement Trap" and the critical difference between the "Created Self, " the armor you built to survive, and the "Innate Self," where your true confidence, creativity, and calm actually live.

We discuss why using logic to solve emotional struggles is a recipe for burnout, and how your "inner critic" is often just a misguided protector rather than an enemy. If you are tired of performing, striving, and feeling like a fraud despite your outward success, this conversation is the pivot point you need.

It is time to stop the internal war.

The answer isn’t to add more to your to-do list; it’s to have the courage to stop fixing what was never broken in the first place.

In this episode, Jules answers the following questions:
➡️What is the meaning of innate self?
➡️What is the true self?
➡️How does one discover their true self?
➡️What does true self mean?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Jules’ website: https://www.n8self.com/
- “The N8 Self” Book: https://a.co/d/5dVdjvk
- Jules’ Instagram: @N8Coach

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#youareenough #personaldevelopment #innateself #selfimprovement #mindset #becomingmoreofyourpersonalself #whatdoyouknowtobetrue #juleskuroda #then8self #rogerkastner

Your logic is perfect but no one's listening | Business Storytelling with David Hutchens

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0700

Storytelling expert David Hutchens explains why leaders retreat into spreadsheets and logic when they need buy-in, and why that instinct backfires: data doesn't drive change, meaning does.

David, founder of The Storytelling Leader, walks host Roger Kastner through what he calls "the connection gap," why story creates neural coupling between a speaker and a listener, and why even after two decades of coaching leaders on this exact skill, he still feels the fear of being judged every time he tells one himself.

Key Takeaways
• Data doesn't drive change, meaning does. Leaders default to more slides and more data precisely when what the moment calls for is an emotional connection
• When two people share a story, their brains show nearly identical activity patterns, a phenomenon researchers call neural coupling
• Organizations move in the direction of the stories and images placed in front of them. Announcing a culture change does nothing on its own, leaders modeling new behavior and telling stories about it does
• Storytelling isn't a solo skill, it works best built as a team capability, not practiced in isolation
• Even after 20+ years coaching this skill, the fear of being judged when sharing a personal story never fully goes away, courage is something you return to again and again, not something you graduate past

Questions This Episode Answers
• What is the secret to great storytelling? Courage, not technique. Even highly experienced storytellers feel the fear of being judged every time they share something personal, and the willingness to do it anyway is the actual skill.

• What is the role of storytelling in transformative change? Story connects data to feeling. People don't take action based on what they think, they take action based on what they feel, so a leader's job is to link the change they need to an emotion, not just more evidence.

• What do leaders need to become great storytellers? Intentionality, not performance skill. Great organizational storytelling isn't about crafting a better narrative arc, it's about being deliberate about the meaning a story makes for the people hearing it.

• What is the impact of storytelling on culture? Culture moves in the direction of the stories an organization repeatedly tells. Announcing a change does nothing by itself, but leaders who model new behavior and keep telling stories about it are what actually shifts a system.

Chapters
0:00 Why Storytelling Is a Leadership Superpower
4:59 Coaching Leaders to Use Storytelling for Change
8:18 What It Feels Like to Lead with Your Superpower
10:14 Balancing Data and Emotion in Leadership Stories
14:55 How Leaders Learn to Become Better Storytellers
19:50 How Stories Shape Emotional Currents in Teams
23:07 Storytelling, Adaptability, and Organizational Change
27:26 Using Stories to Reinforce Desired Leadership Behaviors
30:09 What Inspired David Hutchens’ Storytelling Work
33:02 The One Thing All Great Storytellers Need
35:55 Building Storytelling as a Team Capability
38:46 The Discipline Behind Powerful Storytelling
42:26 The Future of Storytelling in Leadership

Full transcript: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/your-logic-is-perfect-but-no-ones-listening--business-storytelling-with-david-hutchens

Resources Mentioned
• David's company, The Storytelling Leader: https://www.storytellingleader.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast about reinvention, purpose, and possibility. It's for professionals discovering, building, or already living into their purpose. Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move.

➡️ For insights into each conversation, subscribe to the newsletter: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ Learn more about the podcast: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We're recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

#BusinessStorytelling #LeadershipDevelopment #ChangeLeadership #storytelling #EmotionalIntelligence #personaldevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #reinventyourself #RogerKastner

The Framework to Solve Any Problem | Insights with Roger Kastner

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0700

I came across this problem-solving framework 20 years ago and I’ve used it on almost every project I’ve been a part of ever since, and it is incredibly effective.

All appreciation and snaps to Alex Osborn and Dr. Sydney Parns for developing the Creative Problem-Solving Process.

True Snacks are bite-sized learning clips that come from an episode of the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast. The podcast conversations explore how ordinary people use their extraordinary talent, or superpower, to make meaningful impact in the world.

I love a good framework that boosts clarity and performance amongst teams. And since teams solve problems all the time – having an effective and repeatable problem-solving model is a such an accelerator for higher productivity.

Drop a comment and let us know if this model helps you and your teams. Or if you have a question about this model, please feel free to ask that too.

If you have your own problem-solving framework that works great for you, I’d love to hear about it!

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast, I take a turn as a guest to talk about my superpower, Creating and Sharing Simple Frameworks. Friends of the podcast, Liv Olson and April McCormick both suggested the idea a few weeks apart, and I’m pretty good at noticing patterns, so I went with it.

In the full episode I share a handful of frameworks…
1️⃣ Those I’ve created (Like the one I wrote about in my book, “The Project Success Checklist” or the framework that is the foundation for the podcast)
2️⃣ My “go to” framework for helping leaders assess employees’ responses to change
3️⃣ My favorite framework that I’ve used on almost every initiative in the last 20 years

I love to share these frameworks with colleagues. Whether I created them or not, these frameworks help me live into my purpose.

And like most people that I’ve interviewed for the podcast, my superpower didn’t come from a place of strength. Instead, that talent started as a way to attend to an unmet need.

In the full episode, Roger answers the following questions:
➡️ How do I use a framework?
➡️ What frameworks are used in business and problem solving?
➡️ How do I create a framework?
➡️ What does "framework" mean in simple terms?

Resources mentioned in the full episode:
➡️ What Do You Know To Be True? podcast:
➡️ Roger’s LinkedIn
➡️ Roger’s book “The Project Success Checklist”
➡️ April’s LinkedIn
➡️ April’s Uncomfortable Friend podcast:

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: What Do You Know To Be True? Podcast

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#DiscoverYourSuperpower #UnlockYourPotential #UnlockYourPossibilities #MakeMeaningfulImpact

You’re Not Broken: Simple Frameworks to Break Repeat Patterns & Find Flow | Coach Roger Kastner

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Do you ever feel like you’re doing everything “right,” but somehow you keep ending up in the same frustrating patterns? The meetings change, the projects change, even the people change…but the result feels way too familiar. If you’ve secretly wondered, “Maybe I’m the problem. Maybe I’m broken,” this conversation is for you.

In this episode, OD practitioner and leadership coach Roger Kastner shares how simple frameworks can help leaders, coaches, and teams finally break the cycle without burning out or blowing everything up. When you see your work differently, you don’t just get clarity, you get excited again about what’s possible. You’ll learn how to create more flow at work, even if your organization is stuck in “this is how we’ve always done it.”

Roger is interviewed by guest host April McCormick, and together they unpack why so many leaders feel stuck at work and trapped in status quo stories. They explore practical leadership frameworks you can apply immediately to shift your mindset, bring your team into better alignment, and start changing results without waiting for permission from “the top.” This isn’t theory, it’s about usable tools that fit on a napkin and live in real conversations.

If you’re a people leader, coach, or organizational development practitioner that feels stuck, this is designed for you. You’re successful on paper, but inside you might feel a mix of career stagnation, quiet burnout, and a nagging sense that you’re meant to lead differently. This episode will help you see that you’re not broken: the old pattern is. We’ll show you how a few simple shifts in how you frame work can unlock fresh energy and direction.

In this episode, Roger answers the following questions:
➡️ How do I use a framework?
➡️ What frameworks are used in business and problem solving?
➡️ How do I create a framework?
➡️ What does "framework" mean in simple terms?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ What Do You Know To Be True? podcast:
➡️ Roger’s LinkedIn
➡️ Roger’s book “The Project Success Checklist”
➡️ April’s Uncomfortable Friend podcast:

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#simpleframeworks #stuckatwork #breakthecycle #findflowatwork #leadershipframework #mindset #teamalignment #creativeproblemsolving #creativeproblemsolvingprocess #leadership #Howleaderscreatepsychologicalsafety #howtostoprepeatingpatterns #stuckatworkbreakthecycle #simpleframeworksforleaders #creativeproblemsolvingprocessforleaders #organizationaldevelopmentframeworksforleaders #becomingmoreofyourpossibleself #whatdoyouknowtobetrue #suzanneweller #rogerkastner

The One Thing to Future-Proof Your Career | Insights from Kason Morris | True Snacks

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Are you ready to learn more about the capability that some experts are saying is the number one way to futureproof your career?

In this excerpt from our full What Do You Know To Be True? conversation with Future of Work leader, author of the “Life-Work Revolution,” speaker, Career Strategist, Kason Morris, he shares a perspective on future proofing our careers in a way that’s different than what a lot of others are saying.

Kason Morris prepares individuals and companies for the future of work – but in two very different ways.

True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. The full episode is available to listen here: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/episode/how-to-design-your-future-of-life-work-with-kason-morris

Kason helps companies assess the strategic talent needs of the future. And his superpower is helping individuals architect the life-work designs that prioritize their dreams and values. His Life-Work Design talents helps individuals “build careers that they don’t have to escape from.”

ℹ️ Spoiler alert: “The future of work isn’t coming. The future of work is now.” – Kason Morris ℹ️

His superpower of Life-Work Design was something he learned firsthand early in his career when he found himself experiencing burnout and on a path that didn’t align with the life he wanted to lead.

In the full conversation, we explore…
➡️ the most valuable skill for future proofing your career
➡️ the #1 tendency of high-achievers that is the biggest roadblock to achieving our Life-Work designs
➡️ the most important Key Performance Metric you should track for your legacy

My favorite quote from the full episode is “When I started looking at work as a tool, my work became my first investor in my freedom and my happiness.” This is powerful because it reduces the importance of one’s job from “who I am” to where I choose to able be in my zone of genius and thrive today.

In the full episode, Kason answers the following questions:
➡️ How to future proof your career?
➡️ What skills will prepare me for the future of work?
➡️ How do I achieve work-life balance?
➡️ Why is adaptability important?

Resources:
➡️ Kason’s website: https://kasonmorris.com/
➡️Kason’s LinkedIn

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to:

Design a Career You Don't Have to Escape | Kason Morris

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0700

What if your career was designed around your life, not the other way around? If you've ever felt burned out, stuck climbing a ladder you didn't choose, or like your work owns you, this conversation is your blueprint. Future of Work leader and Life-Work Design strategist Kason Morris shares how intentional living and career reinvention can help you design a career you don't have to escape.

Kason Morris, Future of Work leader and Life-Work Designer, shares how he discovered his superpower of working with others to design the life they want to live. And once intentional about our Life-Work Designs, we are better about to unlock our potential and possibilities, to make even more meaningful impact in our lives, with our families, and in our communities.

Are you ready for the future of work?

Kason Morris prepares individuals and companies for the future of work – but in two very different ways.

Kason helps companies assess the strategic talent needs of the future. And his superpower is helping individuals architect the life-work designs that prioritize their dreams and values. His Life-Work Design talents helps individuals “build careers that they don’t have to escape from.”

His method puts individual in the designer role to find the intersection between one’s values and goals and where their skills and capabilities can meet in the best interest of the individual, not any company.

Spoiler alert: “The future of work isn’t coming. The future of work is now.” – Kason Morris

As a Future of Work executive, author of the “Life-Work Revolution,” speaker, and Life-Work Design Strategist, Kason joins us to share how he helps individuals embrace adaptability and learning agility to create their strategies for achieving the life they want lead.

His superpower of Life-Work Design was something he learned firsthand early in his career when he found himself experiencing burnout and on a path that didn’t align with the life he wanted to lead.

In the conversation, we explore…

➡️ the most valuable skill for future proofing your career

➡️the #1 tendency of high-achievers that is the biggest roadblock to achieving our Life-Work designs

➡️the most important Key Performance Metric you should track for your legacy

In this episode, Kason answers the following questions:
➡️How to future proof your career?
➡️What skills will prepare me for the future of work?
➡️How do I achieve work-life balance?
➡️Why is adaptability important?

Resources mentioned in the episode:

➡️Kason’s website: https://kasonmorris.com/

➡️Kason’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kason-morris/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

Keywords
#intentionalliving #burnoutrecovery #careerchange #lifedesign #careerpivot

The Creativity You Think You Don't Have | Creative Director Pia Mailhot-Leichter

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Most high-achieving professionals have quietly accepted a story: creativity belongs to artists, not to leaders, and not to executives. Not to them. Creative Director Pia Mailhot-Leichter dismantles that story completely, and in its place offers a mindset change, something far more useful: a way to recognize, trust, and activate the creative superpower you've been carrying without knowing it.

The answer to "how to be creative?" is as straight forward as "how to be human?" Relax, you already are.

Most people think creativity is a talent you’re either born with or not. In this What Do You Know To Be True? conversation, Pia Mailhot-Leichter challenges that belief and reframes creativity as a mindset, a form of personal agency, and a core part of personal development.

If you’ve ever said, “I’m not creative,” this conversation invites you to look closer. Pia believes creativity is not about art or output. It’s about…
➡️ how you think
➡️ how you choose who you are
➡️ how to show up in the world
➡️ what stories you believe about yourself

At its core, this conversation is about identity. Who you believe yourself to be. How much agency you think you have. And how reclaiming creativity can shift your mindset from reacting to life to actively shaping it.

If you are looking to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact, this conversation is for you!

Pia shares why creativity is not always comfortable or polished, why risk and trust matter, and how giving yourself what she calls a “permission slip to suck” can unlock a deeper sense of freedom and momentum.

This conversation is for anyone exploring personal development, searching for purpose, or wanting to reconnect with their ability to choose, create, and become who they are meant to be.

Pia is the founder of Kollektiv Studio where she is a creative partner to clients. She is also the author of the best-selling “Welcome to the Creative Club.”

Pia has been in creative spaces her whole life, but it was a breakthrough moment, not a breakdown moment, where she realized creativity is not just a thing she did…but it was a choice and a way of life.

That is when she chose to change the world by changing the world in her.

In this episode, Pia answers the following questions:
➡️What is the true meaning of creativity?
➡️ How do I know if I’m creative?
➡️What does it take to be creative?
➡️What skills improve my creativity?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Pia’s Company: https://kollektiv.studio/
➡️Pia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pialeichter/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to become more of your possible self by discovering your superpower, unlocking your potential, and creating your impact in the world.

This podcast is for leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: What Do You Know To Be True?

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#howtobecreative #creativethinking #creativeblock #creativity #mindset

Find More Joy Through Authenticity | Tash Durkins

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Can being more authentic bring you more joy? If you've ever felt like you're performing a version of yourself, at work, at home, or as a leader, this conversation is your permission slip. If people pleasing is getting in the way of your personal growth, leadership development, and sense of fulfillment, this conversation is for you. Executive coach Tash Durkins shares how authenticity and joy are more connected than most people realize, and how one simple choice can change everything.

This conversation is with founder, author, and executive coach, Tash Durkins, and her superpower of being Fiercely Joyful. Learn how she discovered her superpower, how she is unlocking her potential by sharing these lessons, and how her superpower helps her make meaningful impact in her communities.

Have you ever thought about the role authenticity plays in creating and experiencing joy?

I had not thought about the relationship between authenticity and joy until I spoke with Tash Durkins. And the word authenticity keeps coming up in many conversations as an amplifier for people’s superpower.

Tash Durkins is the founder and CEO of Fiercely Joyful, and she’s authored a book of the same name. Tash is an executive coach and a former executive of the Federal Aviation Administration.

For anyone who wants to experience more joy, Tash says that for it comes down to a simple act: “joy requires a choice.”

Another word and act that keeps coming up in these conversations: a choice. Being intentional about how we want to show up and be present in the world, and how we want to respond to those things we do not control.

Tash brings a level of equanimity and wisdom to this conversation that makes me want to quiet myself, lean in, and learn as much as I can.

And while Tash says, “joy is an inside job,” Tash learned from her father that being in community is another great source for generating joy.

In this episode, Tash answers the following questions:
▶️ How to find more joy?
▶️ How connection and community help to access joy?
▶️ Can one choose to be joyful?
▶️ What is the role of authenticity in joy?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Joy is an inside job.”

What makes sense to me is, while joy requires connection with something bigger than oneself, we experience more joy when we become more open we are to it.

And this is amplified by how much we allow it to reveal itself to us.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
▶️Tash's LinkedIn

▶️Tash’s company Fiercely Joyful

▶️ Tash’s book: "Fiercely Joyful"

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go here:

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#Authenticity #personalgrowth #leadershipdevelopment #peoplepleasing #joy

Positivity Is Your Most Underrated Success Habit | Stephen Minix

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Many high achievers struggle with positivity as being too soft. But Stephen Minix makes the case that the most positive people in the room are also the most dangerous in the best possible way. Positivity isn't a personality trait. It's a trainable success habit. It's a mindset, a choice. And if you're not developing it with intention, you're leaving one of your most powerful leadership tools on the table.

You probably know someone who exudes the power of positivity. Not in a fake or toxic way, but in an authentic way that inspires you and pumps you up. Have you ever wondered how they got like that and how can you get some of that?

“Yo! Fired up!”

This is how Stephen Minix greeted me the morning of our recording. And it was infectious and it set the tone for our conversation.

Stephen is the Vice President of Community at UpMetrics, he’s public speaker, a connector, a Girl Dad, and a former high school coach and college instructor. He’s very persuasive in many ways.

But he wasn’t born this way. He learned at a very early age that life is a series of choices and the only thing you control is your choices and response to stimulus.

Deepak Chopra said “To resist or flow is the only choice in life. One leads to suffering, the other, joy.”

Victor Frankl said “between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Stephen Minix knows this to be true, but he didn’t learn it from Deepak or Victor, he learned it from his namesake, his father.

And with that choice, Stephen chooses to be positive and exude optimism. Not in a fake or toxic way, but in a very authentic way. “My dad taught me the importance of making that choice.”

When asked about authenticity and his superpower of positivity, Stephen said: “If you are going to judge me based on anything, I’m going to give you something to judge me on, which is exactly who the heck I want to be in the moment.”

In this episode, Stephen answers the following questions:
➡️ What does authentic positivity look like?
➡️ How do you increase your positivity?
➡️ What is the true meaning of positivity?
➡️ Is positivity a choice?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Never beat yourself up. Beating yourself up just results in you being beat up.”

The lesson too often from beating ourselves up is not to getting better and learning. We often learn to avoid those situations, meaning we don’t grow in that area. That feels like a bad lesson, a bad choice.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Stephen’s LinkedIn
➡️ Book: “The Energy Bus” by John Gordon

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: What Do You Know To Be True?

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#mindset #Success #Habits #PersonalDevelopment #Leadership

How Laughter Helps Teams Work Better and Reduce Stress | with Brain Trainer Jess Brain

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0700

What if laughter at work could help your team work better, increase psychological safety, and reduce stress at the same time?

In this conversation, Jess Brain, a Certified Brain Trainer and Laughter Leader, shares her superpower of laughter and the neuroscience-informed power of laughter at work.

Together, we’ll unpack how practicing laughter as a team can:
➡️ Reduce stress and burnout
➡️ Build psychological safety at work
➡️ Increase creativity, resilience, and trust
➡️ Improve individual and team dynamics
➡️ Help teams work better without forcing humor or telling jokes

This conversation is especially relevant for people leaders, team leaders, coaches, and organization development professionals looking for practical, science-backed ways to improve team wellbeing and team performance.

Jess explains why laughter isn’t just a “nice to have,” but a powerful tool for:
⬇️ Reducing stress in teams
💚 Creating safer, more connected relationships
😆 Helping leaders model vulnerability and playfulness
✅ Strengthening team relationships over time

You’ll also hear real examples of how laughter:
☑️ Breaks down hierarchy
🎓 Encourages learning from mistakes
📈 Creates the conditions for innovation and engagement

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a team work better, especially during stressful or uncertain times, this episode offers a surprisingly simple (and human) starting point.

In this episode, Jess answers the following questions:
▶️ How to find laughter now?
▶️ Why is laughter important for emotional and physical health?
▶️ How does laughter contribute to psychological safety in teams?
▶️ Why do children laugh more than adults?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
▶️ Jess’ website: https://www.thebrainbar.com
▶️ Jess’ Instagram: @TheBrainBar
▶️ Book: The Internet is a Playground by David Thorne

Chapters
0:00 Intro & Welcome
1:05 Why Laughter Creates Psychological Safety at Work
3:40 The Neuroscience of Laughter and Stress Reduction
6:45 Why Adults Stop Laughing, and How It Costs Teams
10:30 How Laughter Builds Trust and Team Connection
14:15 Laughter vs. Humor: Creating Safety Without Jokes
18:45 Practical Laughter Exercises for Teams and Meetings
24:10 Using Laughter to Improve Creativity and Resilience
29:20 How Leaders Can Model Playfulness and Safety
34:40 Laughter as a Tool for Long-Term Team Wellbeing
39:30 What Jess Brain Knows to Be True About Laughter
43:10 Lightning Round

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to discover your superpower, unlock your potential and possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners, and anyone who works with people who want to be inspired to discover their superpower, unlock their possibilities, and make meaningful impact in the world.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#LaughterAtWork, #PsychologicalSafety, #Resilience #Howtoreducestressinteams #Howto makeateamworkbetter #DiscoverYourSuperpower #UnlockYourPossibilities #MakeMeaningfulImpact

Awakening Awareness and the Power of Hope | Mai Moore

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Awakening awareness of oneself has been a common thread for many of the rockstars who’ve shared their journeys on this podcast series.

And yet, to have greater impact in the service of others and to be a more effective leader, we also need to become “other” aware.

This is a “yes and…” both self-aware and other-aware: the ability to grow the impact of our superpowers and be better leaders, requires the same amplifiers of superpowers that past guests have shared: empathy, curiosity, and connections, and today’s guest talks specifically about awakening awareness to the experiences and perspectives of others.

Today we’re joined by Mai Moore, the former technology executive turned social justice leader, and we explore her experience with her superpower, “awakening awareness,” and the benefits of our own increasing awareness has on our ability to impact the people and communities we serve.

✨ New Pillar of Potential ✨
This is the first episode in this podcast series where we explore the role that hope has with the guests’ superpower and their journey towards their potential and possible self.

And to be clear, when we’re talking about hope, we’re using a definition that psychologist Charles R. Synder put forth in his “Hope Theory”:

Hope is a motivational state based on one's belief in:

➡️ Having achievable goals,
➡️ On the right path, and
➡️ Their ability and capabilities to create change

And Mai picks up and runs with this definition of Hope and amplifies it by suggesting when tied together with authenticity, it makes a bigger impact, and also fuels more hope.

In this episode, Mai answers the following questions:
- How does becoming more aware of others make you a better leader?
- How does awareness increase social impact?
- Why hope requires action in order to have an impact?
- How to give others hope?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Awakening awareness is the ability to see more clearly so we can lead better.”

This feels like one of those statements that no one would argue with, however, the power is where one chooses to fix their gaze, and having the continuous curiosity to go deeper and understand even more what it is like to be someone else.

📌 Connect with Mai Moore
Website: https://maimoore.com
Instagram: @maimoore
LinkedIn: Mai Moore

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

Keywords

#AlmostSocialImpact #Awareness #Authenticity #Hope

How Great Coaches Teach More Than Sports | Evan Johnsen

Wed, 07 May 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Remember that coach or teacher who inspired you to working harder and achieving your goals?

If you had experience where a coach or teacher made an impact, I’m sure that experience includes more than just playing a sport better or passing that algebra test – they were able to empower you with life skills.

Many of us were fortunate enough to have a positive role model when we were kids, and for myself it’s easy to see the profound impact they had on who I am today.

And while we appreciate those teachers and coaches for the impact they had on our lives, if you’ve been a mentor, a coach or instructor, you know how rewarding and fulfilling it is to be in that role.

Today, I get the opportunity to talk with Evan Johnsen, the Vice President of Programs and Development at First Tee Greater Seattle and get to learn about how he uses his superpower to inspire and empower young people through the game of golf.

As someone who has played a variety of sports throughout my life, as well as coached youth sports for 14 seasons across four different sports, I know the demand, the opportunities, and the rewards of sports both as a player and as a coach.

In this conversation, you can tell Evan brings a lot of intention, purpose, and meaning to his craft and it’s the interaction with the young people and other coaches that fills him up.

As a coach of youth and manager of adults, Evan shared some wisdom he’s learned along his journey.

In this episode, Evan answers the following questions:
▶️ What’s important in coaching youth sports?
▶️ How do you make an impact in the lives of young people?
▶️ How do you connect with kids?
▶️ How do you teach life lessons through sports?

My favorite quote from the episode: “They won’t care what you know until they know you care.”

Whether you are coaching youth sports, managing a team, or being a friend, the role of empathy in amplifying the impact you want to have is critical to your success. And sometimes, their success too.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
▶️ Evan’s email: evan@thefirstteeseattle.org
▶️ Evan on Instagram: coach_evan
▶️ First Tee Greater Seattle: www.firstteeseattle.org
▶️ First Tee National: www.firsttee.org
▶️ Chambers Bay Solstice Fundraiser for First Tee Seattle:
✨ Support Evan: https://tinyurl.com/Evan-Solstice
✨ Support Roger: https://tinyurl.com/Roger-Solstice

Chapters
0:00 Intro & Welcome
4:38 First Tee Greater Seattle
5:46 Best Sport for Life Lessons
7:58 Chambers Bay Solstice Event for First Tee
12:47 What or Who Inspired Evan's Superpower
17:32: Role of Curiosity in Evan's Superpower
20:49 Learn to Laugh at Adversity
21:32 Performance Equals Skill Minus Interferences
23:10 Relationship between Joy and Superpower
26:12 Bill Wright Golf Complex and Community
30:32 What Do You Know To Be True?
34:38: Lightning Round

Video in this episode used by permission from First Tee Greater Seattle.

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to:
https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hos

Joy Isn't Something You Wait For | Roger Kastner on Finding Your Joy Practice

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Halfway through the season of joy, host Roger Kastner revisits the biggest lessons from his guests on what sparks joy, what sustains it, and how to access it under stress. The episode covers why connection may be the antidote to a "collective amygdala hijack" many high performers are experiencing, the real difference between joy and happiness, and two practical frameworks: MARS (movement, adventure, rest, synergy) and FEED (flow, educate, energize, depth) for building more of both into daily life.

Key Takeaways
• Connection is the antidote to what one guest calls a "collective amygdala hijack." The overwhelm high performers feel when anxiety, loneliness, and uncertainty pile up.
• Kids laugh 300 to 400 times a day; adults laugh only 5 to 15 times, according to research shared in the episode.
• Happiness is a victory for the self and comes from accomplishment. Joy is the transcendence of self and comes from connection to something bigger.
• There are four main pathways to joy: movement, adventure, rest, and synergy (MARS), and as little as 15 minutes a day in one of them can shift an entire day.
• Real creation, painting, writing, or just a meaningful conversation, is one of the most reliable paths back to connection with yourself.
• Time is the one resource you can't get back, which is why guests point to being intentional about the "urgent vs. important" split rather than just staying busy.

Questions This Episode Answers
• What's the difference between joy and happiness? Guests describe happiness as a fleeting, circumstance-based feeling and joy as something deeper, rooted in connection, gratitude, and transcending the self. As one guest puts it, "joy is the pill, happiness is the side effect."
• How do you access more joy in daily life? The episode's MARS framework points to four main pathways: movement, adventure, rest, and synergy. Even 15 minutes a day in one of these areas can fuel an entire day.
• Why does joy feel harder to access right now? Guests point to rising anxiety, loneliness, and uncertainty pulling even high performers into overwhelm, and argue that connection, not achievement, is the most reliable way back.
• What is the FEED framework for building a more joyful life? Psychotherapist Dr. Adam Dorsey's FEED framework asks whether an activity brings Flow, Educates you, Energizes you, and has Depth. The more boxes an activity checks, the more likely it is to become a real source of vitality.

Chapters
00:00 Reflecting on Season 2, The Season of Joy
1:13 3 ways to create more space for joy with Dr. Adam Dorsey
9:32 The science of laughter with Dr. Krystal Culler
12:48 Joy through connection and purpose with Jen Mueller & Nana Gyesie
18:50 Joy vs. Happiness: what's the real difference
20:59 The MARS framework for finding joy with Anna Hall
33:58 Joy through creation, beauty, and taking things less personally with Beth Collier & Alex Cook)
37:49 The FEED framework for building vitality with Dr. Adam Dorsey

Watch Next:
▶️ Four Ways to Access Joy Anytime – Fuel Your Superpower | Anna Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7a9sfOE94&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=9

▶️ From Survive to Thrive: 3 Powerful Tools to Re-Connect with Your Superpower | Dr Adam Dorsay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ6Haz3V-o0&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=4&t=1124s

▶️ Your Superpowers Start With Something Missing | Roger Kastner on the Reinvent Yourself Framework

Full transcript: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/joy-isnt-something-you-wait-for--roger-kastner-on-finding-your-joy-practice

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

What Do You Know To Be True? is a personal development and leadership podcast capturing insights and experiences with people who've navigated their own reinvention, to be more aligned with their purpose and possibilities.

Each conversation offers new perspectives and inspiration for your next move. Wherever you are on the reinvent yourself path, these conversations are for you.

➡️ For insights into each conversation, subscribe to the newsletter: https://rogerkastner.substack.com/
➡️ To be in more conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@WDYKTBT?sub_confirmation=1

We're hosted by Roger Kastner and produced by Three Blue Pens. We're recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover more about the land you are on, go to https://native-land.ca

#JoyVsHappiness #WhatSparksJoy #Connection #FindingJoy #reinventyourself #LeadershipDevelopment #personaldevelopment #RogerKastner

How to Be Emotionally Honest in Your Work with Alex Cook

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Artist and “You Are Loved” muralist Alex Cook joins the conversation to share his superpower of emotional honesty and how the question, “is it true?” helps guide his art, his voice, and his decisions.

A couple of episodes ago, Dr. Adam Dorsay recommended that to deal with an overwhelming sense of stress and anxiety, we should create more than we should consume.

That got me thinking about what motivates a creator and artist to put their heart into their work, and then put their work out there.

I wanted to learn more so I sat down with muralist, musician, and author, Alex Cook, to learn about what motivates his art.

Alex shares “the best art comes from a place of telling the truth,” and then he goes on to demonstrate that level of emotional honesty, vulnerability, and sincerity throughout the conversation.

From considering what others think of his art projects to finding the limitations of being honest, Alex shows up as someone who has thought long and hard about emotional honesty and lives by the principles he has created for himself.

In this episode, Alex answers the following questions:
- What motivates an artist?
- How to be honest?
- What is emotional honesty?
- How to live with integrity?

In the conversation, when asked about the relationship between his superpower and joy, Alex shares, “the most joyful thing is to do the work you’re here to do.” From my little “me-search” project here I call a podcast, I know 43 guests so far who would whole-heartedly agree with him.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

▶️ Alex Cook’s Website: https://www.stonebalancer.com/

▶️Alex’s “You Are Loved” Murals: Using https://www.youarelovedmurals.com/

▶️Alex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonebalancerart

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#honesty #emotionalhonesty #art #motivation #YouAreLoved

Following Your Curiosity to Find Truth and Joy | Beth Collier

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0700

Have you ever wondered what makes deeply curious people so curious? Are they trying to discover some untold truth, are they looking for that dopamine rush of surprise, or are they compelled to answer the question, “Why is that?”

If you are curious about curiosity, you are going to love this conversation.

I wanted to better understand what makes a deeply curious mind tick, so I reached out to the author of the Curious Mind Substack newsletter, Beth Collier to learn more.

Beth is a communications expert and runs her own consulting firm, and it’s her writing that really caught my attention.

Every Friday she drops a new Substack post that is a masterclass in that topic. Beth makes the interesting fascinating, usually with more turns than Lombard Street in San Francisco, and always unearthing some new angle or fact that most people are learning for the first time.

In this conversation, she shares what she’s discovered and learned:

✨ Many of those quotes you see from famous people on LinkedIn, Twitter, and on PowerPoint slides: they didn’t say them

✨ Imposter Syndrome is a “garbage construct”

✨ Being curious requires you to have a mindset of being open to what you don’t know, which can be hard because our brain craves certainty

Each article is a journey into the unfolding story, that sometimes results in joy, and sometimes ends in disappointment. But the path she takes is always in pursuit of the truth.

The three things I learned from our conversation:
1. Those famous people you are quoting MAY have never said what you think they said.
2. Imposter Syndrome has its roots in a misogynist past that tried to explain why something should be based on what it has always been.
3. Curiosity is about trying to uncover the truth, and sometimes ends in joy and sometimes ends in disappointment.

In this episode, Beth answers the following questions:
- What does it mean to be curious?
- What is the real meaning of curiosity??
- What are the benefits of curiosity?
- How can I foster curiosity in myself?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️Beth’s company: https://www.beth-collier.com/
➡️Beth’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethccollier/
➡️Beth’s Substack “Curious Minds”: https://bethcollier.substack.com/
➡️WDYKTBT Episode with Roger interviews his "rather be mudwrestling" mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yootEWoVjyo&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=19

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

The 4 Impactful Ways to Express Gratitude with Kevin Monroe

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0700

What if gratitude could change the way you see everything: your work, your relationships, even yourself?

In this powerful and timely conversation, we’re joined by Gratitude Ambassador Kevin Monroe, who reminds us that gratitude isn't just a nice idea, it's a transformational force that can shift our entire perspective…if we let it.

Kevin guides us through four unique dimensions of gratitude:
1️⃣ The joy of receiving gratitude
2️⃣ The warmth of expressing it
3️⃣ The inspiration of witnessing it
4️⃣ And most surprisingly: the healing power of giving gratitude to ourselves

Yes, self-gratitude.

And if that idea makes you pause…you're not alone. We explore why this often-overlooked form of gratitude might be the one we need most, especially during challenging seasons.

Whether you’re a leader, a coach, or someone simply craving more joy and connection in your life, this episode offers fresh insight and grounded practices to help you unlock the power and potential of gratitude.

You’ll hear answers to questions like:
✅ What does true gratitude look and feel like?
✅ How can you create more gratitude at work and at home?
✅ What’s the impact of expressing gratitude to yourself?
✅ And how do we bring more of it into everyday life?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
▶️ Kevin Monroe Gratitude Consulting
▶️ I’m Grateful For You cards:
▶️ Book: “The Four Loves” by C.S. Lewis
▶️ Video: “A Good Day” by Brother David Steindl-Rast

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to:
https://WhatDoYouKnowToBeTrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#gratitude #Appreciation #YouMatter #Leadership

From Survive to Thrive: 3 Powerful Tools to Re-Connect with Your Superpower | Dr Adam Dorsay

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0800

***This is a conversation with Dr. Adam Dorsay and he shares how you can find joy and enhance your relationships by following three simple and immediate steps. Adam answers the question, how do I thrive more? Enjoy the full conversation to get inspired to find more joy and improve your connections.***

On a podcast that talks a lot about thriving, what do we talk about when people are struggling with surviving?

It feels like a break-glass in case of emergency moment where many high-performing, high-agency, purpose-driven, resilient people are feeling overwhelmed, they’re unable to access joy, and they’re tapping out.

Whether it’s the move towards authoritarian governments, the worsening climate crisis, the state of the economy, the move away from social justice and increasing divide between ultra-wealthy and shrinking middle class, there’s enough to fill the day with doomscrolling and naval-gazing.

We rely on these paragons of resilience in moments like these, but they are getting caught up in this collective amygdala hijack moment too.

You can’t change it or actively resist it by staring at a screen; you can’t lift others up by languishing in your threat response.

But here’s the thing: You can change it by connecting with yourself in meaning for ways.

Since my purpose is to help others unlock their possibilities, I felt the need to speak with someone who can provide powerful guidance and tools to unlock their collective amygdala hijack, and Dr. Adam Dorsay answered the call.

Dr. Adam Dorsay is a licensed psychologist and executive coach based in Silicon Valley who works with high-performers and professional athletes. Dr. Adam is the host of the award-winning podcast, SuperPsyched. He’s given two highly regarded TEDx Talks and he recently published the bestselling book, “Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the 4 Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love.”

Dr. Adam’s superpower is connections, and the first type of connection he shines a light on is connection with oneself. In this conversation, Dr. Adam shares powerful tools for re-connecting with oneself to not only stop the amygdala hijack, but more importantly find balance, find vitality and meaning in life, and get back to thriving.

In this episode, Dr. Adam answers the following questions:
- How do I stop feeling anxious and overwhelmed?
- How do I find more vitality and meaning in like?
- How can I help someone who is anxious?
- How does my creativity help me with my anxiety?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Dr. Adam Dorsay: https://dradamdorsay.com/
- Book: “Super Psyched”
- Podcast: SuperPsyched
- Jess Brain: https://www.thebrainbar.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
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Your Brain Health Fuels Your Superpower | Dr. Krystal Culler

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 06:00:00 -0800

How often do you think about brain health?

Cognitive performance and brain health are critical our ability to make meaningful impact in the world, but for the leaders, coaches, and colleagues who work hard to develop their talents to live into their potential and possible self, brain health might be something that’s overlooked.

Several of my previous guests have talked about how the brain works and have shared the mindfulness practices they perform so that they can show up and attend to their most important work. But we haven’t spent much time on what it takes to ensure our beautiful brains stay healthy and we haven’t talked about the risk of burnout

That made me curious to learn more about the relationship between our pursuit for potential and our physical, mental, and emotional health, so I sat down with Dr. Krystal Culler, to learn more about the what we can do to nurture a healthy brain and improve our cognitive performance.

Krystal is a great resource to talk about brain health with. Not only does she hold a doctorate in Behavioral Health, she is the founder of the Virtual Brain Health Center and the co-host of the “Let’s Talk Brain Health” podcast. Moreover, she’s had her own challenges with brain health and experienced burnout, so this isn’t just academic for her. It’s personal.

In this episode, Krystal answers the following questions:
- How can I improve my brain performance?
- What affects brain performance?
- When should I worry about brain health?
- What causes burnout?

My favorite quote from the episode: “I can’t do well if I’m not taking care of myself well enough to do the work.”

In response to something Krystal said, I refute the old adage of “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” as being not only untrue, it’s quite the opposite. And this is where Krystal changed my perspective on the topic of burnout.

I had thought burnout was from working hard in an area that wasn’t aligning one’s superpower and purpose. Krystal corrected that assumption, saying burnout can happen when you are living into your purpose but not balancing physical, mental, and emotional well-being practices into your schedule.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Virtual Brain Health Center: https://virtualbrainhealthcenter.com/

- Let’s Talk Brain Health podcast: https://podcast.virtualbrainhealthcenter.com/

- Substack Newsletter: https://drkrystallculler.substack.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

#BrainHealth #BrainPerformance #CognitivePerformance #Wellbeing

Finding Happiness for Yourself and Others | Clayton Kirkland

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0800

For Life Coach and Public Speaker, Clayton Kirkland, being a Happiness Hero means helping others explore their happiness, and it means understanding his own relationship with joy and happiness.

In the 2nd season of the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast we’re exploring the role of joy in finding one’s superpower and living into one’s possible self or potential, so I wanted to learn more from Clayton about what he knows to bring true happiness for himself and how he helps others find it too.

Clayton shares many of the lessons from his award-winning book, “Happiness Trek: 200 Lessons for Happiness,” and what stuck out for me the most was how much happiness is created by being in relations with and creating happiness for others.

I had this old notion that only we can create our own happiness, we alone are responsible for our own level of happiness, but Clayton challenges that idea.

He also shares his Happiness Scale, like the Pain Scale a doctor uses in pain management, but the opposite of Happiness is not the absence of happiness, it’s suffering.

And this is where it gets interesting. As a Buddhist, Clayton knows one of the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha is ‘life is suffering,’ and happiness is what alleviates suffering.

Full circle, if you want to help someone experience more happiness, relieving their suffering is a great place to start.

In this episode, Clayton answers the following questions:
- How to create more happiness for myself?
- What is the difference between joy and happiness?
- What are the keys to happiness?
- How to alleviate suffering?

My favorite quote from the episode: “I give myself permission to be human, everyday.”

Clayton shares this as part of his daily mantra, and what this does is opens Clayton to welcome more grace and acceptance into his day for himself. What is possible if we applied this for ourselves?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Clayton’s Website: https://www.happinesstrek.com/
- Clayton’s Book: Happiness Trek: 200 Lessons For Happiness

Chapters
0:00 Intro and Welcome
4:21 Difference between Joy & Happiness
10:32 Importance of Bringing Happiness to Others
14:15 The Happiness Scale
17:11 How Much Suffering Do We Create Ourselves?
21:25 Admiring Vulnerability and Adaptability
22:38 Relationship between Vulnerability and Happiness
24:50 Inspiration to be a Happiness Hero
26:09 Framework for being a Happiness Hero
27:21 Relationship between your Purpose and Superpower
29:01 Superpower Impact on Clayton
33:29 What’s true about Happiness?
35:14 Lightning Round

Videos in this episode are from Blue Bird, cottonbro studio, olia danilevich, Pavel Danilyuk, Edmond Dantes, Suzy Hazelwood, Ron Lach, Max Medyk, Pressmaster, Danik Prihodko, August de Richelieu, RDNE Stock Project, Antoni Shkraba, Yaroslav Shuraev, Ketut Subiyanto, Martina Tomšič, Pat Whelen, Matilda Wormwood

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To&

How to Overcome Fear & Tell Impactful Stories | Public Speaking Coach Kristin Link

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0800

In this conversation, Public Speaking Coach Kristin Link shares her superpower of helping leaders learn how to tell impactful stories. Whether it’s giving a speech or speaking up in a meeting, Kristin says, speaking with impact is more important than speaking with perfection.

And it’s by telling stories that we have impact through connecting with our audience’s hearts and minds.

So, what holds us back? What stops us from getting on stage or speaking up in the meeting?
It’s a limiting belief we tell ourselves that we need to be perfect.

And it’s also the fear. The fear of not being perfect or saying something that will proves what our internal saboteurs have been saying all along: we don’t belong here.

Well, there’s a reason the majority of us get invited on stage or are in the conference room, and Kristin has been proving it for over two decades with the people she coaches, from with Silicon Valley technology leaders, to TEDx speakers, and everyday professionals.

Kristin shares two simple frameworks with us, one for how to build our speech, the second for how to focus on the audience.

They are simple because Kristin stresses that simpler is better. Simple is comfortable, confident, and impactful.

In this episode, Kristin answers the following questions:
- How to tell an impactful story?
- How to be a better public speaker?
- How does a Public Speaking Coach help?
- What are storytelling techniques to telling an impactful story?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Impact not perfection.”

This speaks to me because many of us start with the idea we have to be perfect, and that is not the case. The beginning of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 speech at the Lincoln Memorial was not stirring the crowd, in fact, it was moving some to leave. It wasn’t until Mahalia Jackson, standing a few steps below the podium, shouted out “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” And you know the rest.

What I know to be true about the episode: Our biggest barrier is our ego, and Kristin’s stories just illuminate this even more. Limiting beliefs, fear of other people’s opinions, past experiences believed to be a predictor of future performance. Toxic mental sludge.

What I learned from the episode: Kristin shares that what gives her the most joy is not seeing a leader on stage crushing it, but instead, it’s that same leader months prior who was paralyzed with fear and ready to make a career-limited move and not get on that stage.
It’s her ability to move her clients from fear and into experimentation that is the biggest moment of joy.

Resources in the episode:
- Kristin’s company – Link Coaching: https://kristinlinkcoaching.com/

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, click here:

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

#publicspeaking #publicspeakingcoaching #coaching #impact #joy

Overcome Yourself: Embrace Awareness to Thrive | Nana Gyesie

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0800

What gets in your way when trying to use your superpower?

If you are like most people I talk with, your response is, “Myself.”

Overcoming yourself requires awareness of what is holding you back from your best self. Maybe it's your programing, the negative experiences and trauma you've experienced, and our liberation comes from doing the work.

But how?

For Nana Gyesie, the answers lie in many paths, and all those paths start with mindful awareness and our innate intuitive intelligence.

Nana is a Leadership and Life Coach with INNER MILEAGE Coaching, a mindfulness teacher, a yoga instructor, a photographer, and a practicing Buddhist. Nana sees the world and his experiences through the lens of his own acceptance of things as they are, which gives him the ability to choose something different.

And since we live in a time of tumultuous and exponential change, where we are seemingly turning from one existential crisis to another, Nana believes it’s critical for our future flourishing and thriving to be able to bring our humanity forward in order to collectively address the very real challenges ahead of us.

We can create the future we want only when we have done the work of overcoming ourselves and overcoming our past, individually and collectively.

In this episode, Nana answers the following questions:
- How to accept the way things are?
- How to get out of my own away?
- How to have more awareness and mindfulness?
- What does the Buddha say about joy?

My favorite quote from the episode: “The real joy is in seeing things as they are and accepting things as they are. In accepting things as they there, there’s a realization of your power and efficacy to choose differently.”

I have never liked the word “surrender.” It feels like giving your power away. And yet, Nana suggests the opposite. That is, by accepting the way things are, (i.e., surrendering), you increase your power to choose something different.

What I know to be true about the episode: I know Nana’s wisdom does not come easily, he’s done and continues to put in the work to overcome his programing and tap into his intuitive intelligence. For that I am grateful that his superpower, purpose, and joy all lead him to share with us the knowledge and wisdom his does in this conversation.

What I learned from the episode: Besides not remembering yet how to pronounce “Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,” (Sorry, Rick!), I really appreciate something Nana said in the episode: “When one moves away from self-judgment to compassion, one is overcoming one’s programming.”

As is often said, “the past is never in the past,” Nana suggests that self-compassion is a way for us to overcome ourselves.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Nana’s company: INNER MILEAGE Coaching https://www.innermileage.com/

Keywords
#Awareness #Compassion #Joy #getoutofyourownway

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to:
https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Joy Is the Missing Link to Resilience and Purpose | Purpose Guide Anna Hall

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 06:00:00 -0800

What if joy wasn’t something you earned, but something you could access anytime, even and especially in the hard parts of life? What if you could master your mindset and increase your personal development through finding what brings you joy? In this conversation, we explore how joy builds resilience, reveals purpose, and highlights what makes for a meaningful life, especially if you work with others to find joy and purpose, and need to find and thrive on it too.

Many people searching for purpose believe they need clarity, confidence, or certainty before they feel joy. But what if it works the other way around? When joy feels elusive, it can drain energy, cloud meaning, and make it harder to see your strengths or potential. Both in your own life and in the people you lead.

Purpose Guide, Anna Hall, shares a powerful insight: joy is accessible for anyone, at any time, and it’s a prerequisite for resilience and purpose, not only a reward for achieving them. When we learn how to access joy intentionally, we unlock energy, motivation, and clarity about what truly matters.

In this conversation, Anna breaks down four practical ways to access joy in everyday life even when things feel heavy or uncertain. These simple practices help leaders and coaches reconnect with meaning, sustain resilience, and rediscover what fuels their impact.

If you’re a coach, org development professional, or small business owner searching for purpose, potential, and a more meaningful life, this episode offers a grounded, human way forward starting with joy.

In this episode, Anna answers the following questions:
- How do I find joy?
- How do you generate joy?
- How do people find joy in life?
- How to hold joy and grief at the same time?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Joy is a reflection of other people’s values.”

Lately, I’ve enjoyed asking people, “what’s sparking joy for you?” and hearing their response. What I did not know was that they we’re dropping cues as to what their values are. I should be paying more attention!

What I know to be true about the episode: I am very excited to share this episode early in the journey into better understanding the role of joy in our superpowers and our potential. Of course, Anna illuminates the topic of joy, as she is the beacon of light for purpose, meaning, and joy.

What I learned from the episode: Anna’s four ways to access joy and that synergy is the element I need to recharge my joyfuel tanks.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Anna’s Company: https://ThePurposeEquation.com

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners and anyone who is working on their leadership capabilities and personal growth, through coaching or not, in their pursuit of unlocking and living into their possibilities.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to:
https://WhatDoYouKnowToBeTrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#joy #mindset #masteryourmindset #Findingpurpose #Resilience #Meaningfullife, #Leadership#development #personal development #discoveryoursuperpower #unlockyourpotential #createmoreimpact #Howtoaccessjoyineverydaylife #Joyasasourceofresilience #Findingpurposethroughjoy #Howleadersfindmeaningandenergy #Unlockyourpotentialthroughjoy

Create Thriving Workplaces By Asking Better Questions with Garin Rouch

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0800

Coaches, consultants, and leaders know the power of asking questions in order to find the next step in unlocking a barrier or solving a problem.

For Garin Rouch, asking the right questions is a superpower, one with a lot of consequences, since he's building better workplaces where hopefully people can thrive.

Garin Rouch is an Organization Development expert with over 25 years of experience, working with leaders and teams to unlock the barriers that prevent higher performance. Garin is also the Co-Founder of Distinction Consulting and he’s the co-host of the OrgDev Podcast, both with his business partner, Dani Bacon.

One of the things he’s learned in that time is the best solutions come from within those organizations by the people closest to the problems, and tapping into their sense of agency and ownership to develop and implement solutions.

I’m curious to learn more about the role of joy in achieving our potential, and in each episode of season 2, we are diving into joy. And Garin is great in getting out of his comfort zone here to share his satisfaction, or joy, with creating workplaces that thrive.

Garin is quick to point out the value in being an effective consultant is not in having the right answers, it’s in asking the right questions.

In this episode, Garin answers the following questions:
- How do I become a better consultant?
- How do you stand out in consulting?
- How to create better workplaces?
- What is Organization Development?

My favorite quote from the episode: “If I had one wish for organizations, it’s just slow down.”

This resonated deeply with me, and I want to make it more personal: leaders, slow down. Mistakes were never made by going too slow, but by going to fast. And as Ferris Buehler said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

What I know to be true about the episode: Garin is a voracious learner. He consumes a lot of Org Dev, teaming, neuroscience, an leadership content. If there’s ever an Org Dev pub trivia night, I want Garin on my team.

What I learned from the episode: I am reminded how grateful I am to be able to connect with people like Garin from around the world who are working on similar efforts, with the purpose to improve the conditions of workplaces so people can thrive and flourish.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Consulting firm Garin co-founded: Distinction http://www.distinction.live

- Org Dev Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@distinctionconsulting

- Book: “Polarity Intelligence: The Missing Logic in Leadership” by Tracy Christopherson and Michelle Troseth: https://bookshop.org/p/books/polarity-intelligence-the-missing-logic-in-leadership-tracy-christopherson/19948202?ean=9781636981888

- Podcast: “The Ready” https://www.youtube.com/@the-ready

Keywords
#BetterWorkplaces #AskQuestions #OrganizationDevelopment

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Exploring the role of Joy in our Superpower | Season 2 Trailer

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0800

What do you know to be true about joy? What is the relationship between your superpower and joy? What is the role of Joy in achieving your potential?

I’m curious to learn more about the role of joy in achieving our potential, and so in season 2 of the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast, we are diving into joy.

Each What Do You Know To Be True? episode is an opportunity to learn from and get inspired by our guests, who are everyday people with extraordinary talents, making meaningful impact in their communities.

As we explore their experiences with their superpowers, the goal is to learn how we can live more authentically into our own superpowers, and better understand how we can achieve our potential.

In season 1 we learned about the role of Purpose as a source for meaning and as a North Star for living into our potential.

In season 2, our guests are sharing what they know to be true about joy.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Charting a path to unlocking one's potential starts with a deeper understanding of one’s superpower and how to make a meaningful impact in service of others.

In these conversations, Roger Kastner seeks to discover more about our guests' path to purpose and unlocking potential by exploring their journey from developing their extraordinary talent to creating meaningful impact for others.

The goal of these conversations is not to try to emulate it or “hack” our way to a new talent. Instead, these conversations are to inspire you to think deeply about how to create positive impact in service of others.

This podcast is for anyone who works with other people to unlock their challenges and achieve more. Our audience thinks deeply about their work, the space they hold, and the positive impact it brings to others.

Our guests bring humility, insights, gratitude, and humor as they delve deep into their experiences and share their wisdom. They are everyday people, with extraordinary talent, who have made a meaningful impact.

How to Help Others Own Their Voice | Sports Broadcaster Jen Mueller

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0800

As a leader, coach or mentor, our role is to help others find their voice and tell their story.

Of course we want to improve our abilities to do this for our people, so I reached out to a professional sports broadcaster and storyteller, Jen Mueller, to learn how she has honed her craft.

Today’s guest is one of those amazing storytellers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Jen Mueller and learn more about her extraordinary talent of empowering others to own their voice.

Jen is well known for her sidelines reporting and post-game interviews with the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners.

Jen frequently interviews athletes right after they made the game winning play and when they’ve made a mistake to lose a game.

And she doesn’t shy away from asking the difficult questions, not only because that’s her job, but because the athletes and coaches want the opportunity to answer those questions.

Off the field, Jen is a keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and content creator, sharing valuable insights from her experiences in sports and beyond.

In this episode, Jen answers the following questions:
- How do you help someone to tell their story?
- How do you get someone to tell their story?
- What does it mean to have your own voice?
- What does it mean to own your own story?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Open-end questions create confusion.”

In coaching and consulting, we’re told to ask open-ended questions, so hearing this perspective was really valuable. The context of a coaching or consulting conversation is much different than a news interview, but I had not thought about open-ended questions like this before.

What I know to be true about the episode: Jen is a pro. I love how well thought-out and planful her strategies and tactics are, and how she bakes in contingency and flexibility into her frameworks to reflect the rapidly-changing nature of sports.

What I learned from the episode: Jen shared two great frameworks. The first is about the relationship-building power of saying “Hello” and how simple it is as a precursor to a deepening of trust. The second framework is how she identifies and nurtures questions through the day, the week, and a season.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Jen’s company: Talk Sporty To Me

Keywords
#OwnYouVoice #Storytelling #SportsBroadcaster #Empathy #Curiosity #Connection

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

How Travel Changes Us | Insights from Travel Expert Steve Smith

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Why do we travel?

Do we travel to see some sights, check off a bucket list item, immerse ourselves into a new culture or glam up our social media feeds?

I was curious about this so I asked my friend, Steve Smith.

Steve is a travel expert and tour guide and has spent almost 40 years with the Rick Steves travel company. He’s the author of the France travel guides published by Rick Steves. They’ve sold more travel books than all travel books combined.

Steve spends a third of his time in France updating the guides and leading tours, and Steve also leads trips to Guatemala.

I took my curiosity to Steve and asked him why we travel, and why he has spent most of his life inspiring others to experience the world.

And the answer might not be in a destination, or in a travel book.

Steve speaks fondly of his friend, Rick Steves, the founder of Rick Steves’ Europe travel company.

They both speak of travel as a political act. Rick stated his goal is to get out of your comfort zone, increase your empathy with the other 96% of the world, and bring home the greatest of all souvenirs, a broader perspective.

In this episode, Steve answers the following questions:
- Why do we travel?
- Why is traveling important in life?
- How can we experience the world in a positive way?
- Why do I feel so alive when I travel?

My favorite quote from the episode: “But you can’t get that experience on your couch.”

What I know to be true about the episode: I was recently listening to the song “Rejoice” by U2 which part of the chorus is “I can’t change the world, but I can change the world in me.” This seems to be central to Steve’s superpower of Inspire to Experience.

What I learned from the episode: Aviation only accounts for 2% of greenhouse gases. I was surprised that number was that low, and Steve made me think differently about the opportunity costs of not travelling…plus still burning fossil fuels while staying home.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Rick Steves’ Europe
- Global Visionaries – youth leadership development organization
- Steve's annual trip to Guatemala: Experience Guatemala
- Rick Steves’ Hope and Hunger show:
- Book: “Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before” by Tony Horwitz

Keywords
#Travel #ConsciousTravel #Experience

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Greater Awareness Through Polarity Management with Asli Aker | True Snacks

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Have you ever been stuck between two options, only to find a better option is the third option?

And of course, you’ve found the truth in between two very different renditions of the same event.

That space in between or unseen just beyond two options is the space of integration – and it can only be found if you are looking for it.

Executive Coach and Organization Development Consultant, Asli Aker is a master at being aware of and identifying the integrative space between two seemingly opposite things. Some refer to this as polarity management, but that sounds like a technique. For Asli, it’s a way of life. A way of being.

***True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode with Asli, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuFN-bxrXO8&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=10 ***

Asli gracefully moves in the spaces between opposites to help her clients find the integration space that’s right for them.

It even shows up in how she talks about awareness. She eloquently weaves the warp and woof of polarities into a tapestry of integration – a space that feels holistic, safe, and true.

In this conversation, you will find out the true meaning of her name, “authentic,” and that she was born into this superhero power of finding that integrative space between two opposites.

In this episode, Asli answers the following questions:
• What do we mean by awareness?
• What is the real meaning of awareness?
• What is polarity management?
• What is the role of energy in polarity management?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Imagine what you can accomplish when you’re more alive.”

What I know to be true about the episode: I am in awe of how smoothly and effortlessly Asli weaves polarities into the conversation, into sentence after sentence. Not as a way of calling attention to the opposites, but instead to occupy the space in between them.

What I learned from the episode: A lot about polarity management, including that it’s a misnomer. Perhaps it should be called “integration management,” since that’s the end goal

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at the episode website:
- Asli’s company, Niches Coaching and Consulting

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Chapters

Keywords
#PolarityManagement, #Awareness, #AchievingMore

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

How Introverts Can Speak Up and Stand Out | Nancy Ancowitz

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Self-promotion in an authentic way can be hard for a lot of people, especially for introverts.

Whether it's speaking up in meetings, stepping on stage to give a presentation, or advocating for themselves, how does an introvert push past their discomfort to achieve their goals?

As a Career strategist, and a pioneer in the popular introvert literature, including her book, “Self-Promotion for Introverts®” and her articles in the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, Nancy has been helping Introverts stand up and shine for a long time.

Nancy joins us to share her superpower—helping introverts master self-promotion, and in doing so, she emphasizes a familiar set of themes we’ve heard in many of these conversations, and that’s: curiosity, empathy, and connection.

To complement those themes, Nancy also provides a framework for introverts to have more confidence in getting more of what they want in life.

And for you extroverts, don’t worry, there's something here for you too.

While Nancy’s superpower is focused on introverts, extroverts can benefit from Nancy’s framework as well.

In this episode, Nancy answers the following questions:
- How to help introverts with self-promotion?
- How do I advocate for myself as an introvert?
- Why do introverts have a hard time expressing themselves?
- How extroverts get in the way of the strengths of introverts?

My favorite quote from the episode: "Let's get the word out there while remaining authentic."

I love the tension and space behind this statement. There doesn't need to be a contradiction between bold and honest, or loud and authentic.

What I know to be true about the episode: Nancy made me appreciate how there are consistent themes I’m hearing from guests about what helps them live into their superpowers, and it’s curiosity, empathy, and being present.

What I learned from the episode: While the framework was created to help introvert self-promote, it’s also a good framework for extraverts when they want to make authentic connections. It is in the process of slowing down, listening, and finding a point of commonality to build from that is key to creating authentic creations.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Nancy’s website: https://NancyAncowitz.com

#SelfPromotionForIntroverts #AuthenticConnections #Authenticity

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Create Your Community When It Doesn’t Exist | Michaela Corning | True Snacks

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0700

What do you do when you cannot find a community that serves your needs?

If you are Michaela Corning, you create it.

As an entrepreneur, an outgoing sales person, an amplifier, a woman, and a Muslim, Michaela found herself in the middle of an “intersectionality twister” game in workplaces that were not safe for her and she could not find the community that she envisioned. One that provided regenerative well-being and joy for her and other Muslim women.

So in 2021, she created Barakah Beauty Collective – the first women only salon and boutique in Seattle focused on uplifting Muslim women economically, spiritually, and physically.

***True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode with Michaela, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HO_xHrIzWM&list=PLbWfh34FP_dWsmhLMNNz6IPXanydwpH-U&index=6 ***

With love, business smarts, and a boatload of hard work and perseverance, Barakah Beauty Collective is thriving.

And she has built something that is serving the needs of Muslim and non-Muslim woman, and inspiring the next generation of Muslim girls to dream and achieve bigger.

In this episode, Michaela answers the following questions:
- How to build community?
- How to build community where one does not exist?
- What is modest fashion?
- Is it necessary to have a cat to make a video go viral?

My favorite quote from the episode: “If it’s going to focus on serving the needs of the community, then it needs to reflect the community it’s in and what they need, right? That’s a ‘duh.’”

What I know to be true about the episode: Michaela is an inspiration. She is the change she wants to see in the world.

What I learned from the episode: A good friend, Lakshmi Gopalkrishnan, just shared with me the idea that whatever you have been told that you are too much of, or too little, that thing you are “not the right amount of” is your superpower and your strength, and you need to find the place where that can shine. Michaela is proof positive of that.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Michaela’s Modest Fashion Company: https://michaelacorning.com/
- Barakah Beauty Collective: https://barakahbeautycollective.com/

Keywords

#Community #Community Building #How to build a community,

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Finding the Courage to Launch Your Solopreneur Business | Liz Steblay

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Starting your own solopreneur business would be easier if you had a coach on your side.

Someone who brings empathy and experience to show you the ropes, know what you are going through, and can name when fear, uncertainty, and doubt rear their ugly head and get in your way of success.

Years ago, Liz Steblay left a successful career at a well-known consulting firm to go out on her own and start an independent consulting business because it was better for her family, and better on her terms. Then she started two businesses tailored to helping solopreneurs.

Liz know a thing or two about helping launch solopreneurs.

But early in her career, Liz was told that empathy and emotions in the office was a sign of weakness.

Now she knows empathy is a superpower, her superpower, and it’s what she brings to support thousands of independent, solopreneur business owners through her firm, her workshops, and now her book, “Succeeding as a Solopreneurs."

In this episode, Liz answers the following questions:
- What does it mean to be a solopreneur?
- What is the difference between an entrepreneur and a solopreneur?
- What does it take to be a solopreneur?
- What do Solopreneurs struggle with?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Oh no, people need a lot of inspiration!”

It’s not what Liz says, but the conviction with which she says it that is convincing. And to combat the FUD monster (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), I can appreciate the strength of the required inspiration.

What I know to be true about the episode: Liz is amazing in how she shares her experience from a single mom starting her own independent consulting company, to creating a firm for other independent consultants, to creating another firm that focuses on equipping solopreneurs. In plain speak and a no nonsense approach, Liz has got you covered.

What I learned from the episode: More of a reminder – there’s always someone who has gone up the path before you, and who is willing to reach back and tell you what you need to know. You just need to know how to ask for that help!

Resources mentioned in the episode:

- Liz’ website to all the things: Six Keys
- PICA – Professional Independent Consultants of America
- Books “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
- Book: “Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership” by Joseph Jaworski

Keywords

#Soloprenuer #StartingABusiness #Emapthy

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

For more info: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-lands.ca

Aligning to what I’m supposed to be doing | Strategic Narrative with Guillaume Wiatr | True Snacks

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Storytelling in business has been a hot topic for quite some time, but crafting a strategic narrative is a newer concept, one that our guest, Guillaume Wiatr, knows a lot about.

What’s the difference between a story and a narrative?

As Guillaume shares with us, the old question of the glass half full or half empty can be instructive. The glass itself is the story, your perspective on its disposition is the narrative.

***True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To listen to the full episode click here: ***

In this conversation, Guillaume helps me understand the difference between a story and narrative, and how the process is both a decluttering of noise, and a creating of clarity.

Guillaume also gives a glimpse of the actions he took to take control of the strategic narrative for his own company.

If someone were to ask me before this conversation what Guillaume does, I would have said that he helps entrepreneurs and business owners craft the story they tell about the why, how, and what they do.

Problem is, that would have been wrong.

Guillaume is quick to use words like abundance, joy, and love, but is clear about how these things need to be applied in a systematic approach that produces money, for his clients and him.

He also says that for many new business owners, despite what Simon Sinak says, starting with why can be dangerous.

In this episode, Guillaume answers the following questions:

· What is the difference between a story and narrative?

· How is narrative used in business?

· What does narrative literally mean?

· What are some common examples of narratives in business?

Links to resources mentioned in the episode:
- Guillaume’s company, Metahelm

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

Rediscovering Connection: Mark Meadows’ Journey to Belonging

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0700

What would you do if we were already connected to one another?

Mark Meadows shares this evocative question with the knowledge that we’re already connected. We are already connected, because we are human and we are here. And that which gets in our way of connecting is only the stories we are telling ourselves.

Mark is an Org Development practitioner, a business owner, and is a self-proclaimed recovering deep thinker. He’s put in the work to re-discover how to be present, how to acknowledge the feeling of being, and how to be connected with those around him.

Mark shares a beautiful journey to discovering the truth of connection and what he does now to create and honor connection – it’s a simple framework:

1. Remember we’re already connected

2. Act accordingly

In this episode, Mark answers the following questions:

· How to create a connection with people?
· How to connect more deeply with people?
· Why do I struggle to connect with people?
· Why can't I emotionally connect with anyone?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Connection is an innate wisdom. It is about remember what was already present.”

Borrowing from something Sebene Selassie wrote in her book, “we already belong to one another.” We are already connected. The contrary is artificial and made up.

What I know to be true about the episode: Mark’s vulnerability in sharing where his appreciation for connection as a shared superpower with his father is inspiring.

What I learned from the episode: Acknowledging the gifts from complicated relationships is a sign of growth and the ability to strip away all that prevents connection in the first place.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
• Mark's company, Terra Nova Development
· Book: “You Belong” by Sebene Selassie
· Book with Mark’s “Recovering Intellectual” essay, “Love Notes from the Soul” by Cynthia Gregory

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

How to Design for What Matters in Human Systems with Kellee Franklin | True Snacks

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 12:00:00 -0700

Transformation in organizations, whether driven by strategy or technology imperatives, will often attempt to treat the human side of change as an afterthought or something to be managed.

And that is why most transformations fail.

****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/how-to-pay-attention-to-one-another-pay-attention-with-kellee-franklin ****

Transformation and innovation consultant, Kellee Franklin, understands that most transformation efforts needs to flip the script. They are not adding humans to a technology or strategy system, they are inserting technology or strategy into human systems.

To design successful transformation, Kellee knows that it’s the human system that needs to be understood, respected, mapped, and attended to.

And the best way to do this, is to pay attention.

On an individual level, when everyone craves human connection and want to be seen and be heard, the most valuable and powerful thing we can give someone is our attention.

Kellee Franklin is a consultant, a leadership development advisor, a coach, and an instructor. While she helps businesses design and implement advanced technology into their organizations, she stresses that those organizations as human systems. The technology has to fit inside those human systems – and not the other way around.

Kellee shares what she knows to be true after years in consulting, years advising business and technology transformations, and years teaching in the classroom. You might think from all that experience and knowledge she’s accumulated, she shares nuggets of wisdom she’s gathered along the way.

But instead, it’s how she shows up and how she attends to the people and their needs within those spaces.

In this episode, Kellee answers the following questions:
- How to give attention to someone?
- How to attend to someone’s needs?
- How to show you're paying attention?
- How to be radically present with others?

Chapters
00:00 Intro & To Pay Attention
01:41 Framework for Paying Attention
05:45 Things that matter that can't be measured
08:43 Love you, mean it
10:47 Love has a place in all Human Systems
11:45 What Do You Know To Be True?

My favorite quote from the episode: “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” - From the Mary Oliver poem “Yes! No!”

What I know to be true about the episode: Kellee is probably in a lot of spaces where she is the smartest person in the room, and others where she’s rubbing elbows with geniuses, but her approach to paying attention does not waver because of a deep belief in the value of each individual, what they can contribute, and what can be learned from them.

What I learned from the episode: It is further reinforcement of several threads we can pull on in these conversations where Kellee and other guests, all super-high achievers and people who enable and support highly accomplished people, highlight the powers of curiosity, empathy, and being radically present with others.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or super power and the meaningful impact it has on others. For more info, go to our website.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Think Differently, Lead Boldly: Rick Beaton’s Guide to Thriving in Complexity

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Divergent thinking and courageous alternative perspective sharing is what’s needed to transform organizations, challenge the status quo, and evolve our human systems so people and organizations can thrive and flourish.

Our problems will not be solved with the same thinking that created them.

Our current systems of education, business, and politics are broken because they were designed as technical systems instead of human systems. They do not work for the complexity of human beings, and as we’ve moved into a post-industrial age we need new perspectives and ways of thinking.

And we need people who can help us think differently, challenge our assumptions, and offer alternative perspectives.

Rick Beaton, CEO of Motis, works with clients to help them reveal how they can evolve the human systems within their organizations so that companies can achieve their business goals and people can flourish and thrive in the workplace.

Rick joins us to share his superpower, a Kaleidoscope of Perspectives, which is the ability to see the world through a multitude of filters based on a diverse set of experiences. Rick is able to see and hear things differently that most people and share them back as a gift to others.

In addition to a variety of experiences, Rick pulls on a vast background of systems-thinking, neurobiology, technology, academia, philanthropy, and music to inform his perspectives.

In this episode, Rick answers the following questions:
- How to shift thinking with divergent view points?
- How to help people flourish and thrive in business?
- How to think differently / out of the box?
- What are the positives from offering different perspectives?

My favorite quote from the episode: “The whole structure of organizations are based on ‘why would you trust anybody?’”

What I know to be true about the episode: I am impressed with Rick’s humility and measured approach, and realization that although he might know the answers for his clients, he knows that they need to discover the correct answers for themselves.

What I learned from the episode: Rick talks about the difference between knowledge and wisdom, and the latter comes from knowledge learned, unlearned, and relearned through a diversity of experience that only comes with time and a willingness to enter the discomfort of new experiences that stretch us.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

- Rick’s company Motis
- Book: “Don’t Step on the Rope” by Walter Wright
- Book: “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M. R. Covey

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

Creating Space for Others | Stuffology with Nicole Kincaid | True Snacks

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Yes, this conversation with Nicole Kincaid is about her superpower of helping individuals better manage their stuff and their space AND it’s a masterclass in empathy, holding space for clients, and self-regulation.

Our relationship with our physical possessions, our stuff, is never just about the stuff.

****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/nicole ****

We know this. We know this because we have a box in our closet of things we’ve had for decades, haven’t looked through it, and provide provides no functional value to us today, and yet it remains in the closet.

Maybe it’s the watch your wife gave you 25 years ago, your grandfather’s pilot wings, the old hockey jersey…it’s stuff with meaning, and you are never going to get rid of it.

And then there’s the stuff that had meaning, but no longer has meaning. That stuff, once you think about it, can go.

Energy worker, Nicole Kincaid, helps clients understand the relationship and energy with their stuff, so that they can be more intentional about the stuff they surround themselves with. With empathy, non-judgment, and the realization that the solutions she comes up with and not the right solutions for the client.

Nicole knows only the client can create the right solutions for themselves.

Nicole also leans into the value of creating systems for success. And this is where the masterclass level knowledge shows up as Nicole shares “You can’t create the systems before you’ve gone through the stuff.”

While I’m reminded of comedian George Carlin famously quipped the following question: “Have you noticed that your friend’s stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff?,” (I’m sure he came up with that line after helping a friend move), it feels like it’s all really important, not the stuff, but the relationship with the stuff.

In this episode, Nicole answers the following questions:
- What is Stuffology?
- How to declutter your space?
- Why is decluttering hard?
- What are the steps in decluttering?

My favorite quote from the episode: “You can’t create the systems before you’ve gone through the stuff.”

What I know to be true about the episode: I need to spend more time thinking about my relationship with my stuff and sitting with the deeper understanding of what my relationships with my stuff means. And to timebox that *stuff* - only so much emotional heavy lifting one can do in anyone setting.

What I learned from the episode: I love how so much of what Nicole talks about in helping her client discover their relationship with their stuff is relevant to the work I do with my consulting and coaching clients, from discovering the emotional connections to honoring the agency and brilliance within the clients to own their issues and design their solutions.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Nicole’s website: https://nicolekincaid.com/

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Crafting Your Space and Managing Your Stuff with Nicole Kincaid

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Nicole Kincaid's superpower is helping individuals better manage their stuff and their spaces, and develop sustainable systems to keep it up. But this episode is a masterclass in empathy, holding space for clients, and self-regulation.

Our relationship with our physical possessions, our stuff, is never just about the stuff.

We know this. We know this because we have a box in our closet of things we’ve had for decades, haven’t looked through it, and provide provides no functional value to us today, and yet it remains in the closet.

And then there’s the stuff that had meaning, but no longer has meaning. That stuff, once you think about it, can go.

Energy worker, Nicole Kincaid, helps clients understand the relationship and energy with their stuff, so that they can be more intentional about the stuff they surround themselves with. With empathy, non-judgment, and the realization that the solutions she comes up with and not the right solutions for the client.

Nicole also leans into the value of creating systems for success. And this is where the masterclass level knowledge shows up as Nicole shares “You can’t create the systems before you’ve gone through the stuff.”

On one hand, it’s about helping client’s with their physical stuff. At the same it, it’s about helping clients’ with their emotional relationship to their stuff.

While it is about the material possessions in one’s house, Nicole also shares some masterclass level learnings about how to create the container for her clients to explore and unblock the things, emotional and physical, that are getting in their way, literally and metaphorically.

In this episode, Nicole answers the following questions:
- What is Stuffology?
- How to declutter your space?
- Why is decluttering hard?
- What are the steps in decluttering?

My favorite quote from the episode: “You can’t create the systems before you’ve gone through the stuff.”

While this advice has practical applications, like this whole conversation, there’s more to it than what meets the eye. Experience matters. Getting into it and doing it before designing or finalizing plans for how to do.

What I know to be true about the episode: I need to spend more time thinking about my relationship with my stuff and sitting with the deeper understanding of what my relationships with my stuff means. And to timebox that *stuff* - only so much emotional heavy lifting one can do in anyone setting.

What I learned from the episode: I love how so much of what Nicole talks about in helping her client discover their relationship with their stuff is relevant to the work I do with my consulting and coaching clients, from discovering the emotional connections to honoring the agency and brilliance within the clients to own their issues and design their solutions.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Nicole’s website: https://nicolekincaid.com/

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

How to Change Hearts and Minds | Robert Perez | True Snacks

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Do you think it’s possible to change someone’s mind on social and political issues?

In this deeply divided, polarized political situation we find ourselves in, while it may seem impossible to some.

But to Robert Perez, change is possible, and it’s only a matter of time.

And it does not involve yelling, or telling, or shaming, or outing.

****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/strategies-for-changing-hearts-and-minds-heartwiring-with-robert-perez ****

As Robert says, it requires listening and understanding someone’s values, experiences, and emotional needs.

Robert acknowledges that it’s hard work, and yet it’s worth it because change is possible and it’s worth it.

Robert Perez, the Chief Exploration Officer at Wonder Strategies for Good, has been crafting strategic communications for social justice and progressive organizations for over 30 years. He’s been equipping people to arrive at a shared understanding of the solutions that make progressive social change happen.

In this episode, Robert shares his superpower of Heartwiring – the ability to identify the emotions, identity, lived experiences, values and beliefs of others whose support you need, and then craft messages that untie the psychological knots that people find themselves in.

As Robert explains, where there’s a little daylight between those factors, between what someone has been told to believe and what they’ve experienced and what they feel, that’s the space where change is possible.

“Heartwired” is a strategy guide that Robert and his colleague, Amy Simon, wrote in 2017 to help change makers better understand the audiences they are working with and how to build stories and messages that invite them to engage differently in the issues at heart.

Former FBI Hostage Negotiator, Chris Voss, (author, “Never Split the Difference”) talks about the value of “tactical empathy” to show the other person you understand what’s in their head and the rationale behind their actions.

Robert’s Heartwiring approach takes this further and acknowledges what’s in person’s heart, and entrusts them to use their values and experiences to make a different choice.

In this episode, Robert answers the following questions:
- How do you change someone’s mind?
- How do you communicate with someone with different political views than you?
- What are the factors that change someone’s position?
- What is the role of empathy in political discourse?

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Why You Can't Argue Someone Into Agreement | How To Change Someone's Mind

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Ever feel like you’re talking to a brick wall? You lay out all the facts, the data, and the perfect logic, but the other person just digs in their heels deeper. It’s incredibly frustrating when you know you’re right, but you just can’t get them to change their mind let alone change the world.

The truth is, persuasion rarely happens through arguments or spreadsheets. If you’ve been struggling with how to change someone's mind, whether it’s a stubborn family member or a resistant team at work, the missing ingredient usually isn't more proof. It’s empathy.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with communication strategist Robert Perez to uncover why our standard "logic-first" approach fails and what actually works to shift perspectives. We dive into the science of emotional intelligence and how to tap into people's values instead of attacking their beliefs.

Robert Perez, the Chief Exploration Officer at Wonder Strategies for Good, has been crafting strategic communications for social justice and progressive organizations for over 30 years. He’s been equipping people to arrive at a shared understanding of the solutions that make progressive social change happen.

You’ll learn practical communication skills to navigate difficult conversations without the fight. We discuss real-world examples of how connecting on a human level, what Robert calls "Heartwiring", can dissolve conflict and open doors that facts alone never could.

If you’re ready to stop arguing and start influencing, this conversation will give you the tools to create real impact.

In this episode, Robert answers the following questions:
➡️ How do you change someone’s mind?
➡️ How do you communicate with someone with different political views than you?
➡️ What are the factors that change someone’s position?
➡️ What is the role of empathy in political discourse?

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Robert’s company: Wonder: Strategies for Good https://wonderforgood.com/
➡️ Heartwired for Change – a strategy guide for making change: https://heartwiredforchange.com/
➡️ “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson https://bookshop.org/p/books/caste-oprah-s-book-club-the-origins-of-our-discontents-isabel-wilkerson/15481820?ean=9780593230275
➡️ “The Whole-Brain Child” by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-whole-brain-child-12-revolutionary-strategies-to-nurture-your-child-s-developing-mind-daniel-j-siegel/7338015?ean=9780553386691

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact in the world.

This podcast is for coaches, org development professionals, small business owners, people leaders, and anyone who is working on their leadership capabilities and personal growth in their pursuit of unlocking and living into their possibilities.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#Persuasion #change #CommunicationSkills #changetheworld #EmotionalIntelligence #Empathy #leadership #HowToChangeSomeonesMind #DifficultConversations #discoveryoursuperpower #unlockyourpotential #createmoreimpact

The Relationship Between Joy & Resilience | Bill Hefferman | True Snacks

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Like most skills, resilience and adaptability are capabilities that can be developed but the biggest determinant of their ultimate effectiveness is mindset.

Resilience Consultant and Speaker, Bill Hefferman, joins us to share what he's learned about resilience and adaptability in his over 20 years of studying and teaching others. Professionally, Bill guides teams and leaders through tough issues and challenging times.

****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/resilience-and-adaptability-with-bill-hefferman ****

An expert facilitator and engaging instructor, for over 30 years Bill has led initiatives across a range of companies, countries, and cultures. Known as a passionate expert on leading for resilience and adaptability, Bill offers practical principles, tools, and techniques for all to grow and flourish through the nonstop adversity and uncertainty that’s so much a part of our world today.

In this episode, Bill answers the following questions:
- What it means to be resilient? What does it mean to have resilience?
- What it means to have adaptability?
- What makes a person resilient and adaptable?
- What builds resilience? What builds adaptability?
- How do we build resilience and adaptability in others?

I am grateful whenever I get to hear Bill share his experiences in both learning and teaching others about resilience and adaptability. I love how he breaks down that while resilience does help with dealing with stress and adversity, it is resilience and adaptability that help us bounce forward and becoming stronger because we went through that challenge. Bill shared an important perspective from Kelly McGonigal that I think is worth remembering, a well-lived life is not a stress-free life.

For more information on Bill Hefferman: https://www.billhefferman.com/

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Community Grounded in Faith and Coming from the Heart | Community Building with Michaela Corning

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0700

So in 2021, she created Barakah Beauty Collective – the first women only salon and boutique in Seattle focused on uplifting Muslim women economically, spiritually, and physically.

And with love, business smarts, and a boatload of hard work and perseverance, Barakah Beauty Collective is thriving.

And she has built something that is serving the needs of Muslim and non-Muslim woman, and inspiring the next generation of Muslim girls to dream and achieve bigger.

In this episode, Michaela answers the following questions:
- How to build community?
- How to build community where one does not exist?
- What is modest fashion?
- Is it necessary to have a cat to make a video go viral?

My favorite quote from the episode: “I made you into nations and tribes so you can get to know each other.”

This is from the Qur’an, and as Michaela shares, it is God is talking about valuing the differences in each other and to find joy in discovering the connective in the collective.

(Close second favorite: “If the white lady in a hijab is your diversity hire, you don't know what the hell you're doing.” Was also very memorable and powerful.)

What I know to be true about the episode: I continue to be impressed and inspired by Michaela in her courage, authenticity, and determination to create something valuable for her community that fuels all who participate in it, and is an inspiration to the next generation.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

- Michaela’s Modest Fashion Company: https://michaelacorning.com/

- Barakah Beauty Collective: https://barakahbeautycollective.com/

If you like the episode, please do us a favor by leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

Discovering the Power of Purpose and Joy | Anna Hall | True Snacks

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0700

“[Choosing] happiness is bullsh!t. I cannot choose happiness. Joy fills us from the inside and happiness is a result of joy.”

Anna Hall is a beacon of warmth, authenticity, humanity, and vulnerability. She is a powerhouse of energy when it comes to teaching people about discovering their purpose.

****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode.
- To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/annahall
- To watch more True Snacks episodes: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/true-snacks
****

Anna knows purpose, and she knows bullsh!t when she sees it.

As a student of and guide for purpose for the last 25 years, Anna Hall knows the difference between joy and happiness.

With over 50% of people searching for their purpose, we need people like Anna to help us discover that it’s not something that needs to be found but re-discovered.

Anna believes that our purpose is like our immunity system: it’s totally unique to us and that we are born with it and it is revealed through life’s experiences.

Anna shares that not only are we better when we individually live into our purpose and treat others with fairness, but that we are collectively better when more of us live into our purpose, and treat ourself with fairness.

Through the stories she shares, the work she performs, and the energy she radiates, Anna is a role model for living into purpose.

In this episode, Anna answers the following questions:
- How do we find our purpose?
- What is the role of joy in purpose?
- What is the difference between joy and happiness?

My favorite quote from the episode: “[Choosing] happiness is bullshit.”

I love when Anna brings the heat, and this hot take is so spot on. Happiness is a result of other decisions. And choosing to lean into our purpose is what creates joy, and joy fuels our purpose.

What I know to be true about the episode: It is such a privilege to witness Anna's energy and strength in conviction in everything she says about joy, purpose, and fairness.

What I learned from the episode: I learn so much from Anna each time we talk, but today's top learning: purpose is wellspring of joy and the anecdote for fear.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Anna’s company: The Purpose Equation

Music by Ian Kastner

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Intentional Parenting: Lessons from Parenting Can Make You A Better Leader

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0700

What if one of the most powerful sources of leadership development, purpose, and personal growth isn’t found in a course or a promotion, but in being a working parent? In this conversation, leadership coach and parent advocate Claudia Timmermans explores how intentional parenting, alignment, and shared responsibility build the very skills that create stronger leaders, more engaged teams, and create more impact at work and at home.

Whether you’re a working parent, people leader, or coach, this conversation reframes parenting as a powerful source of personal growth, emotional intelligence, inclusive leadership, and intentional leadership. Claudia challenges outdated narratives and shows how everyday life, especially parenthood, can reveal strengths you didn’t know you had.

Rather than focusing on policies, productivity hacks, or “doing more,” this episode explores why gender equity, engagement, emotional intelligence, and leadership effectiveness start at home. When expectations, time, and responsibility are shared intentionally, people show up differently—not just as parents, but as leaders, partners, and humans creating impact in the world.

If you’re a working parent, people leader, or coach who has ever questioned your potential, struggled to balance roles, or wondered whether you’re truly living your purpose, this episode offers a meaningful reframe. Parenthood isn’t something to survive, it’s an experience that can shape stronger leadership and a more fulfilling life when approached with intention.

Subscribe to What Do You Know To Be True? for more conversations that help you discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact so you can lead with greater purpose at work, at home, and beyond.

In this episode, Claudia answers the following questions:
➡️ What is gender equity?
➡️ What is intentional parenting?
➡️ What are ways the workplace can be more supportive to parents?
➡️ Why does gender equity start at home?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Gender equity begins at home.”

Powerful, simple, logical.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
➡️ Claudia's company Oletta Consulting

➡️ Book: "Career and Family: Women's Century-Long Journey Toward Equity" by Claudia Goldin

➡️ Book: "Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live)" by Eve Rodsky

Music by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact in the world.

This podcast is for people leaders, coaches, org development practitioners and anyone who is working on their leadership capabilities and personal growth, through coaching or not, in their pursuit of unlocking and living into their possibilities.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keyword
#intentionalparenting #intentionalleadership #Workingparents #personalgrowth #purpose #alignment #genderequality #parenting #inclusiveleadership #emotionalintelligence #equalparenting #parentingtips #momlife #discoveryoursuperpower #unlockyourpotential #CreateYourImpact

Discovering the Joy and Value of Silliness | Silliness with Marge Kastner

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0700

What areas of your life are you taking too seriously? What areas of your interactions and relationships could benefit from turning down the formality and seriousness and increase the fun?

In Learning and Development, there's a well-worn adage: “to increase retention, you must reduce tension.”

Fast Company in 2019 published an article called “Why silliness is the perfect antidote to workplace stress.” Yes, in 2019.

Psychology Today published “4 Reasons Why Being Silly Is So Good for Relationships” in 2021.

And the Harvard Business Review published “The Benefits of Laughing in the Office” in 2018, citing research that said humor can boost performance by 10%

OK, so silliness can help us learn easier, reduce stress, build stronger relationships, and be part of higher performing teams. Maybe there’s something to this – and maybe we all would benefit from removing that stick up our tailpipes sometimes.

This episode is with Marge Kastner, my mom, and it’s about her superhero power of “Silliness”.

I took the opportunity of her 80th birthday party to ask her about her superhero power, and it was no surprise that her extraordinary talent was “silliness.”

My mom has three college degrees, raised two outstanding, super intelligent, and well-behaved (and handsome) men, and volunteers countless hours knitting hats for cancer patients and doing environmental clean-up in the post-work chapter of her life.

What does she know about silliness?

It's the path to learning more, being more resilient, creating better relationships, and higher performing teams…it’s also just more fun.

From driving around in ‘80s with a bumper sticker that said “I’d rather be mud wrestling,” to her recent passion for literally wrestling in the mud removing trash from the marshlands near her home, my mom still embodies a deep belief in the value of silliness.

In this episode, Marge answers the following questions:
- What is the value of being silly?
- Is silliness a good thing?
- When not be silly?
- What are those people flinging at each other at that other table in this restaurant?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Life's too short to wait for others to recognize you.”

Lately I’ve realized just how much I have needed to be recognized by others, to have my worth validated by others. I don’t want to give that power to the masses any longer and this quote came at the right time.

What I know to be true about the episode: I’m excited to be able to share this episode with my mom, with family, and with my kids’ children.

What I learned from the episode: My mom has put a lot of thought into the benefits of silliness. I shouldn’t be surprised, since she has degrees in economics, sociology, and anthropology, she would have good evidence and arguments in favor of humor.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

How to be a better listener | The Art of Listening | True Snacks

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 13:00:00 -0700

The gift of listening is more than hearing someone else. It’s being radically present to what they are saying so that you can empathize with them, feel with them, and be with them.

This is an act of love and recognition. This is high art. This is creating the container and making it a sacred space.

****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/nicholaswhitaker ****

Nicholas Whitaker’s superhero power is the Art of Listening, it is a gift earned out of survival. And he turned it into a practice of thriving by giving himself fully to the moment, the other person, and himself.

Nicholas has years of experience as a coach, in running meditation and mindfulness programs for a large technology company, as a documentary film maker, and now as a co-founder of a company that is attempting to create generative workplaces.

Nicholas’ mission is to help others alleviate their suffering, and he does this by helping them activate their authentic selves.

He’s using a superhero power that he learned very early on as a way to safely navigate his world.

And now he’s using that same superhero power to help thousands not just survive in the world, but to thrive in their world.

Nicholas’s framework for listening with radical presence:
1. Arrive with curiosity and compassion for oneself and others
2. Have an intention for how you want to show up in the conversation
3. Holding space: allow people to be heard and not try to fix their problems
4. Have compassion for both yourself and the other person

Curiosity, compassion, and love. These ingredients are showing up in many of these conversations, they are the salt, garlic, and olive oil of meaningful relationships.

In this episode, Nicholas answers the following questions:
- How to be a good listener?
- How to create a container for listening?
- How to show up with empathy and compassion?
- How to improve my listening skills?

Resources mentioned in this episode are available on the episode webpage at https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/nicholaswhitaker
- Nicholas' coaching company
- Nicholas' company, Changing Work Collective
- Book: “Strength to Strength" by Arthur C Brooks
- Book: "Unwinding Anxiety" by Judson Brewer

If you like the episode, please do us a favor by leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast. If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

For more info on the podcast, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Exploring the Space Between Polar Opposites | Polarity Integration | Awareness with Asli Aker

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Have you ever been stuck between two options, only to find a better option is the third option? And of course, you’ve found the truth in between two very different renditions of the same event.

That space in between or unseen just beyond two options is the space of integration – and it can only be found if you are looking for it.

Asli Aker is a master at being aware of and identifying the integrative space between two seemingly things opposite things.

Some refer to this as polarity management, but that sounds like a technique. For Asli, it’s a way of life. A way of being.

Asli gracefully moves in the spaces between opposites to help her clients find the integration space that’s right for them. And it even shows up in how she talks about awareness. She eloquently weaves the warp and woof of polarities into a tapestry of integration – a space that feels holistic, safe, and true.

And in this conversation, you will find out the true meaning of her name, “authentic,” and that she was born into this superhero power of finding that integrative space between two opposites.

In this episode, Asli answers the following questions:
· What do we mean by awareness?
· What is the real meaning of awareness?
· What is polarity management?
· What is the role of energy in polarity management?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Bringing the energy together of polarities to find solutions and the path forward.” Asli shares that the essence of polarity management, and the essence of being aware, is paying attention to the energy and where it is flowing. It is the energy that will guide you, if you are aware of it.

What I know to be true about the episode: I am in awe of how smoothly and effortlessly Asli weaves polarities into the conversation, into sentence after sentence. Not as a way of calling attention to the opposites, but instead to occupy the space in between them.

What I learned from the episode: A lot about polarity management, including that it’s a misnomer. Perhaps it should be called “integration management,” since that’s the end goal

Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Asli’s company, Niches Coaching and Consulting:
- "Energy Leadership: The 7 Level Framework for Mastery in Life and Business" by Bruce Schneider
- "The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael Singer

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

An Invitation to Co-Create | Mike Geyer | True Snacks

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:00:00 -0700

We sing the praises of collaboration all the time, but how we invite others to engage and collaborate have a huge impact on the experience and outcomes.

Mike Geyer, a business and technology consultant, a storyteller, and a Global Accounts Executive at Adobe, has created his own approach to inviting others to engage and co-create in developing novel solutions to business challenges.

Instead of a normal conversation or a simple beverage transaction, Mike offers an invitation through vulnerability, play, humor, and creativity which engages his counterpart into a more engaged interaction - or it doesn't.

But when it works, great things are possible because he has created something he and the other person have co-created and can share. It's from these conditions that he’s created, and the invitation he’s put out there, that the stage is set for great things to happen.

His superhero power, Creating Authentic Connections, is on full display in this conversation.

In this conversation, Mike answers the following questions:
- What is an authentic connection?
- How do I create an authentic connection?
- What are the possibilities and benefits of an authentic connection?
- How do I create an invitation for a different type of interaction?
- How to create your own coffee shop name?

Here's the link to the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/creating-authentic-connections-with-mike-geyer

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast. If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

All "What Do You Know To Be True? and "True Snacks" episodes are here on YouTube, and they are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on our website at https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose. For more info, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keeping the Human in Human Systems in Focus | Pay Attention with Kellee Franklin

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 22:00:00 -0700

Organization transformation, whether driven by strategy or technology imperatives, will often attempt to treat the human side of change as an afterthought or something to be managed.

And that is why most transformations fail.

Transformation and innovation consultant, Kellee Franklin, understands that most transformation efforts needs to flip the script. They are not adding humans to a technology or strategy system, they are inserting technology or strategy into human systems.

To design successful transformation, Kellee knows that it’s the human system that needs to be understood, respected, mapped, and attended to.

And the best way to do this, is to pay deep attention.

On an individual level, when everyone craves human connection and want to be seen and be heard, the most valuable and powerful thing we can give someone is our attention.

Once we’ve been able to do that, when the other person feels truly seen and heard, and you’ve being doing the seeing, what becomes possible together then?

Kellee Franklin is a consultant, a leadership development advisor, a coach, and an instructor. While she helps businesses design and implement advanced technology into their organizations, she emphasizes that those organizations as human systems. The technology has to fit inside those human systems – and not the other way around.

Kellee shares what she knows to be true after years in consulting, years advising business and technology transformations, and years teaching in the classroom. You might think from all that experience and knowledge she’s accumulated, she shares nuggets of wisdom she’s gathered along the way.

But instead, it’s how she shows up and how she attends to the people and their needs within those spaces.

In this episode, Kellee answers the following questions:
- How to give attention to someone?
- How to attend to someone’s needs?
- How to show you're paying attention?
- How to be radically present with others?

My favorite quote from the episode: “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”

From the Mary Oliver poem “Yes! No!”

What I know to be true about the episode: Kellee is probably in a lot of spaces where she is the smartest person in the room, and others where she’s rubbing elbows with geniuses, but her approach to paying attention does not waver because of a deep belief in the value of each individual, what they can contribute, and what can be learned from them.

What I learned from the episode: It is further reinforcement of several threads we can pull on in these conversations where Kellee and other guests, all super-high achievers and people who enable and support highly accomplished people, highlight the powers of curiosity, empathy, and being radically present with others.

The resources shared in this episode can be found at https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/how-to-pay-attention-to-one-another-pay-attention-with-kellee-franklin:
- Book: The Mind of the Leader by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to:

How to rewrite your story | Corinna Calhoun | True Snack

Wed, 29 May 2024 14:00:00 -0700

"How is that story you've been telling yourself working for you? Is it working for you?"

We tell ourselves stories all the time, some based on our limiting beliefs. Wouldn't you love to have a simple process for rewriting those stories that no longer work for us?

Leader and Coach, Corinna Calhoun, developed a 4-step process for rewriting her own stories and brings this process to those she coaches and mentors.

In the latest True Snacks episode, Corinna shares the process...
1. Write down your current story - bonus points for catastrophizing it
2. Collect all the evidence that points to the story NOT being true
3. Rewrite your new narrative
4. Collect the data that points to the new story being true

And yes, this does lean into confirmation bias, and that is why Corinna calls it a brain hack.

In this episode, Corinna answers the following questions:
• Can we rewrite the story we tell ourself?
• How can we rewrite the story we tell ourself?
• How do we know we need to rewrite the story we’re telling ourself?
• How can we help others who are telling themselves stories that don’t serve them

Here's the link to the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/corinnacalhoun

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

All "What Do You Know To Be True? and "True Snacks" episodes are here on YouTube, and they are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on our website at https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

For more info, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Charting a path to purpose starts with a deeper understanding of one’s superhero power and how to make a meaningful impact in service of others.

This podcast is for anyone who helps other people unlock their challenges and achieve their potential.

Our audience wants to think deeply about their work and how to increase the positive impact it has in service of others.

The goal of these conversations is not to try to emulate it or “hack” our way to a new talent. Instead, the intention is to learn more about their experiences with their superhero power, and in doing so maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique.

Our guests bring humility, insights, gratitude, and humor as they delve deep into their experiences, learnings, and impact their "superhero power" has had when used successfully.

The path to purpose: Ordinary people, extraordinary talent, meaningful impact in the service of others.

Unlocking Purpose: Fueling Joy and Empowering Fairness with Anna Hall

Tue, 21 May 2024 06:00:00 -0700

The power of purpose transcends fear, fuels joy, accelerates growth, and gives us a reason to rise, says Purpose expert Anna Hall. And her purpose is driven by a strong, innate sense of fairness.

Nowhere is it written that life is fair. However, fairness is our barometer for how we fit into the systems and context we survive or thrive in.

Anna Hall is a beacon of warmth, authenticity, humanity, and vulnerability. She is a powerhouse of energy when it comes to teaching people about discovering their purpose.

The source of her energy?

It’s an undeniable and powerful sense of fairness.

Anna is an expert in helping others find and live into their purpose.

With over 50% of people searching for their purpose, we need people like Anna Hall to help us discover that it’s not something that needs to be found but re-discovered.

Anna believes that our purpose is like our immunity system: it’s totally unique to us and that we are born with it and it is revealed through life’s experiences.

Anna shares that not only are we better when we individually live into our purpose and treat others with fairness, but that we are collectively better when more of us live into our purpose, and treat ourself with fairness.

Through the stories she shares, the work she performs, and the energy she radiates, Anna is a role model for living into purpose.

In this episode, Anna answers the following questions:
- What is the meaning of fairness?
- How do we find our purpose?
- What is the role of joy in purpose?
- How does purpose help conquer fear?

And then there’s joy fuel. It’s like rocket fuel, same boost of power, but smells a lot better.

My favorite quote from the episode: “When I get in touch with my purpose, that is how I move through fear.”

What I know to be true about the episode: It is such a privilege to witness Anna's energy and strength in conviction in everything she says about joy, purpose, and fairness.

What I learned from the episode: I learn so much from Anna each time we talk,
but today's top learning: purpose is the anecdote for fear.

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found on the episode web page at https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video-episodes:
- Anna’s company: The Purpose Equation
- Book: “Five Stages of the Soul" by Harvey Moody

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with
interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the
meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their
experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the
special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our
purpose.

For more information about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of
Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and
Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people
whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Finding Humanity in Teams | Bennett Bratt | True Snacks

Wed, 15 May 2024 06:00:00 -0700

“One of the things we do in teams is reclaim our humanity.”

In this True Snack episode, Ben shares his strong belief in the power of teams as a place to reclaim our humanity or actively deny it. Ben is a self-proclaimed Team Geek, and you are about to learn why this is well-earned moniker.

Ben also shares a framework for helping teams make the invisible visible called SNOW:
1. See it / Sense it - Acknowledge the thing (e.g., opportunity, problem, elephant in the room)
2. Name it - Put words to the impact or risk the thing represents
3. Own it - Take accountability for your own contribution or actions
4. Work it - Take action

Bennett (Ben) Bratt helps leaders and their teams create the transformative, inclusive, and enduring changes in their team effectiveness that fuel their most deeply desired outcomes. He’s the author of “The Team Discovered” and he’d love to hear the story of your team.

This True Snacks episode is an excerpt of the full What Do You Know To Be True? episode, "Making the Invisible Visible with Bennett Bratt."

In this episode, Ben answers the following questions:
• What do we mean by team effectiveness and collaboration?
• What are the components of team effectiveness?
• What is a leaders role in supporting teamwork?
• What is the role of a team in change?

Here's the link to the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/bennettbratt

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

All "What Do You Know To Be True? and "True Snacks" episodes are available here, and they are also available on our website at https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose. For more info, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Finding Radical Presence through Listening | The Art of Listening with Nicholas Whitaker

Tue, 07 May 2024 20:00:00 -0700

The gift of listening is more than hearing someone else. It’s being radically present to what they are saying so that you can empathize with them, feel with them, and be with them.

This is an act of love and recognition. This is high art.

Nicholas Whitaker’s superhero power is the Art of Listening, it is a gift earned out of survival. And he turned it into a practice of thriving by giving himself fully to the moment, the other person, and himself.

Nicholas has years of experience as a coach, in running meditation and mindfulness programs for a large technology company, as a documentary film maker, and now as a co-founder of a company that is attempting to create generative workplaces.

Nicholas’ mission is to help others alleviate their suffering, and he does this by helping them activate their authentic selves.

He’s using a superhero power that he learned very early on as a way to safely navigate his world.

And now he’s using that same superhero power to help thousands not just survive in the world, but to thrive in their world.

Nicholas’s framework for listening with radical presence:
1. Arrive with curiosity and compassion for oneself and others
2. Have an intention for how you want to show up in the conversation
3. Holding space: allow people to be heard and not try to fix their problems
4. Have compassion for both yourself and the other person

Curiosity, compassion, and love. These ingredients are showing up in many of these conversations, they are the salt, garlic, and olive oil of meaningful relationships.

In this episode, Nicholas answers the following questions:
- How to be a good listener?
- How to create a container for listening?
- How to show up with empathy and compassion?
- How to improve my listening skills?

Resources mentioned in this episode are available on the episode webpage at https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/nicholaswhitaker
- Nicholas' coaching company
- Nicholas' company, Changing Work Collective
- Book: "Strength to Strength" by Arthur C Brooks
- Book: "Unwinding Anxiety" by Judson Brewer

If you like the episode, please do us a favor by leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Staying Curious in the Coaching Conversation | Kevin Jones | True Snacks

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:00:00 -0700

Curious about the difference between a coaching conversation and mentoring conversation?

For those who might not know, a coaching conversation is one where you ask questions, stay curious, not give advice, and treat the other person as creative, resourceful, and whole (meaning, the best answers for them will come from within them).

In this episode of True Snacks, Executive Coach Kevin Jones shares four questions that he uses to self-regulate during coaching conversations, to stay curious, and to be in service of his clients:
1. Is this their agenda or my agenda?
2. What solutions have you already tried?
3. Am I asking this next question in service of their agenda or mine?
4. Am I listening to their journey or am I getting into their story?

He also shares his party trick for introverts to not getting exhausted during a busy social event.

In this episode, Kevin answers the following questions:
- How to stay curious in a coaching conversation?
- How to stay curious in hard conversations?
- What is the difference between a coaching and a mentoring conversation?
- How to be interesting at social events?

This True Snacks episode is an excerpt of the full What Do You Know To Be True? episode, "Intentional Curiosity with Kevin Jones." In that episode, Kevin shares his strength of curiosity, how he learned at an early age to hide that part of him, his journey back to being curiosity led to his transformation, and how curiosity informs his approach to his coaching practice as well as to life.

Here's the link to the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/episode/intentional-curiosity-with-kevin-jones

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

How to Craft Strategic Narratives | Narrative Power with Guillaume Wiatr

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0700

Storytelling in business has been a hot topic for quite some time, but crafting a strategic narrative is a newer, powerful concept, one that our guest, Guillaume Wiatr, knows a lot about.

What’s the difference between a story and a narrative?

As Guillaume shares with us, the old question of the glass half full or half empty can be instructive. The glass itself is the story, your perspective on its disposition is the narrative.

In this conversation, Guillaume helps me understand the difference between a story and narrative, and how the process is both a decluttering of noise, and a creating of clarity.

Guillaume is quick to use words like abundance, joy, and love, but is clear about how these things need to be applied in a systematic approach that produces money, for his clients and him.

He also says that for many new business owners, despite what Simon Sinak says, starting with why can be dangerous.

In this episode, Guillaume answers the following questions:
- What is the difference between a story and narrative?
- How is narrative used in business?
- What does narrative literally mean?
- What are some common examples of narratives in business?

Our conversation about finding one’s superhero powers can be an example of a narrative (so meta!) and in that part of the conversation we come up with the equivalent of the Jump to Conclusions Mat…the game of Ikigai Twister. #TrademarkThatShit

My favorite quote from the episode: “My number 1 client is myself.”

I love Guillaume’s authenticity and conviction in this statement. It’s not narcissism or egotistic, it’s clarity that he needs to bring his A-game everyday to serve his business…and that only happens by providing business value to the clients he serves.

What I know to be true about the episode: Guillaume’s ability to help new solopreneurs and business owners think more deeply about the narratives they can own and craft for themselves is really powerful. Taking agency and accountability for one’s narratives is a superhero power.

What I learned from the episode: Guillaume’s example of the doctor office as part of a designed narrative made me realize how narratives are intentionally built into environments and into systems.

I hope you enjoy the episode. If you do, please share it with a friend, and leave a review. I appreciate it.

Links to the resources in the show can be found on the episode page: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/more-than-a-story-narrative-power-with-guillaume-wiatr
- Guillaume’s company, Metahelm
- Metahelm’s Narrative Power Assessment
- Book: "Back of the Napkin" by Dan Roam

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Embracing Courage & Love after Tragedy with April McCormick

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0700

Today, April McCormick embraces courage and love as she navigates being a leader and a mother.

Five years ago, April and Kevin McCormick had the worst day of their lives, every parent’s worst nightmare. Their 1-year-old son, Lincoln, died suddenly.

A little over a year ago, April started a podcast, “Uncomfortable Friend,” to tell her story, to share her experiences, and to be with Lincoln.

“Uncomfortable Friend” is the best use of this medium. It allows us to peer into a world most of us never want to look into, but when we do, we see the beauty, the resiliency, and the strength of humanity. It takes courage to push play, yes, and you will be a better human for it.

April’s courage, vulnerability, grace, and joy are on full display in her podcast, and, as you’ll see, in today’s conversation too. And that’s because April is what whole-hearted living looks like.

And yes, it takes courage to listen to these conversations, but like everything else that takes courage, it is so worth it.

My favorite quote from the episode: “When you feel someone’s intent is in the right place, you can give them grace if your wording is not quite right.”

What I know to be true about the episode: In the blooper reel at the end of the episode, I include a clip where April asks, “do we need to define ‘courage’.” I respond by saying we’ve already defined it well, but I was thinking, “You, my friend, are ‘courage’.” The word feels deficient after spending time with someone like April.

When she could be anything and no one would blame her after what she’s gone through, and yet she chooses grace, love, joy, and vulnerability…that embodying courage.

What I learned from the episode: The Winnie the Pooh quote that April shared with me and is at the end of the episode is so perfect, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

It makes me think about the Dr. Seuss line, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Who am I to question the genius of Dr. Seuss, however, I believe it’s important to know we can cry and smile. We can be grateful and heart broken.

We can hold joy and grief, because those are the gifts that love gives us.

April is courage. I am in awe and inspired. And yes, Lincoln is so proud of his mama. There are so many reasons why he should be. And I love how April knows this.

It is such an honor and privilege to witness courage and vulnerability like this.

In this episode, April answers the following questions:
- What is courage and vulnerability?
- How to grieve and continue on after the loss of a loved one?
- How does losing a child change you?
- How to support a bereaved parent?

Links to the resources included in this episode can be found on the episode page of the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast
• April’s podcast “Uncomfortable Friend”
• Helping Parents Heal
• Seattle Childrens Hospital Journey Program
• “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brené Brown
• “Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief” by David Kessler

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you

The World Needs Introverts | Jennifer Marcou | True Snacks

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0700

As a female leader in a male-dominated industry, and as an introvert in an extrovert-dominated world, Jennifer Marcou found that her natural style of working, and her gender, was not well represented in her peer group, and definitely not in the ranks above hers.

She was faced with challenge of putting on a mask and leading inauthentically, or learning how to lead in a way that was authentic to her own style, to, as she says, how her brain works.

This True Snacks clip is with Jennifer Marcou and she shares with us how she recognized how to work with and how to lead with her introversion, and how she now coaches other leaders to work with their natural styles and use those styles as an advantage, not something to cover over.

In this episode, Jennifer answers the following questions:
- What is like to be an introvert? And what is like to be an introverted leader?
- What is the difference between introverts and extroverts?
- How to use the introverted behavior as a strength?
- What it's like to be an introvert in an extrovert world?
- How to Lead with Quiet Confidence?

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

For more info, visit the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast site.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

How to Approach Conflict with a Mindset Shift | Kristine Scott | True Snacks

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -0700

Techniques for approach conflict are helpful but shifting your mindset from armoring up and defending to one of empathy and curiosity: game changing.

In this True Snack clip, Kristine Scott shares what she’s learned about conflict resolution from her firsthand experience, first while growing with a lot of conflict, then in her early career learning from youth living on the streets who had to learn conflict resolution skills to survive.

What Kristine has learned, however, is not only a set of techniques to resolve conflict, but she shares a perspective shift away from threat reduction and towards empathy and compassion towards someone who is hurting and who is searching for help.

In this episode, Kristine answers the following questions:
• What is conflict resolution? What is a Conflict Resolutionary?
• What are the principles of conflict resolution?
• How to change your approach to conflict?
• What is the role of empathy and curiosity in conflict resolution?

Watch the full episode at https://youtu.be/cSy96bV6PY4?si=nJjpoRa_LPYMemGF

Kristine's company, Seattle Conflict Resolution: https://www.seattleconflictresolution.com

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Learning Resistance and Growth | Melissa Janis | True Snacks

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 18:00:00 -0700

Resistance to learning, like resistance to change, is a matter of both the head and heart.

In this True Snacks mini-episode, Melissa Janis shares how she helps leaders recognize the need to use both and adopt learning agility as their number one competency.

She is passionate about helping the first-time manager understand the awesome responsibility they have taken on, and that learning agility will become their best friend when it comes to growth and navigating change and ambiguity.

In this episode, Melissa answers the following questions:
- How can I learn new skills as a manager?
- What does learning agility mean?
- What training should new managers have?
- Why do people resist training?

For more information about Melissa and her company: Melissa Janis Consulting: https://www.melissajanis.com/

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner and is a Three Blue Pens production.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

How to Find Purpose at the Intersection of Values and Needs | Marianna Lead | True Snacks

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Some find their purpose at the intersection of their true needs and their deep-seated values.

In this True Snack clip, Marianna Lead shares how she discovered this interdependence between needs, or as she calls them “essentials,” and values, what she calls “fuels.” And I share what I learned by reading her book, “Me, My Brand, and Why” and how I rewrote my purpose statement.

In this episode, Marianna answers the following:
- How can you find your purpose?
- What are the ingredients to purpose?
- How to write your purpose?

Marianna owns and operates Goal Imagery Institute, a International Coaching Federation (ICF) approved coach training program. She’s an ICF-Certified Master Coach, she’s a life-long learner, and she recently joined the podcast to share with us her passion for teaching...which for her is synonymous with learning.

Watch the full episode at https://youtu.be/HOHUPqCqSQ4?si=iEdd3smlxPtoGjra

Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Marianna’s book: “Me, My Brand and WHY: Infuse WHO You Are Into What's Most Important” https://bookshop.org/p/books/me-my-brand-and-why-infuse-who-you-are-into-what-s-most-important-marianna-lead-m-c-c/18565772?ean=9781458392541

- “First Break All the Rules” by Marcus Buckingham: https://bookshop.org/p/books/first-break-all-the-rules-what-the-world-s-greatest-managers-do-differently-gallup/594575?ean=9781595621115

- Marianna’s company: https://www.goalimageryinstitute.com/

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

“True Snacks” is a series of excerpts from the "What Do You Know To Be True?" podcast. The purpose behind this series to share some of the key learning moments from the podcast.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner and is a Three Blue Pens production.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Charting a path to purpose starts with a deeper understanding of one’s superhero power and how to make a meaningful impact in service of others.

This podcast is for anyone who helps other people unlock their challenges and achieve their potential. Our audience wants to think deeply about their work and how to increase the positive impact it has in service of others.

The goal of these conversations is not to try to emulate it or “hack” our way to a new talent. Instead, the intention is to learn more about their experiences with their superhero power, and in doing so maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique.

Our guests bring humility, insights, gratitude, and humor as they delve deep into their experiences, learnings, and impact their "superhero power" has had when used successfully.

The path to purpose: Ordinary people, extraordinary talent, meaningful impact in the service of others.

Having Control at the End of Life | Holding Space for Death with Stephanie Murray

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0700

Reducing suffering is a deep, innermost urge as a human. To be able to end needless suffering, that is a gift, one we’d want for our loved ones, and one our loved ones would want for us.

Today’s guest, Stephanie Murray, is a Volunteer Client Adviser with End of Life Washington, and she provides that gift for the terminally ill and their loved ones.

When it comes to planning, it makes sense to work with someone who has both the knowledge to build a plan, and the experience to know how to address when the plan goes sideways. A combination of expertise and improv. Those two things are what Stephanie draws upon. And for her clients, it’s the last plan that they will make.

It’s one that gives them one last bit of control when they are losing all remnants of control.

In this episode, Stephanie answers the following questions:
- What is medical aid in dying?
- What is the medical aid in dying process and legal requirements?
- What does it take to perform medical aid in dying services?
- Is it possible to end suffering?

We don’t talk enough in the West about death, which is odd considering it’s what’s ahead for all of us. The one thing we all have in common, the great uniter, and yet, we remain silent.

This is why I think it’s amazing that there are people like Stephanie who are there to help us through something we have little experience in, don’t want to talk about, and have very little control over when seemingly everyone around us has a strong opinion about it…even if we don’t talk about it.

Can you think of a greater gift in life than giving someone who is losing control, the last experience of control they may have? Especially, when it is to alleviate suffering?

My favorite quote from the episode: “People say there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. You can avoid taxes.”

What I know to be true about the episode: The ability to hold space for ending suffering is a tremendous gift. And Stephanie’s ability to hold that space for both her clients and their loved ones is truly inspirational.

What I learned from the episode: Only 11 states in the U.S. allow medical aid in dying. According to American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying, only 22% of Americans have access to medical aid in dying services.

As of December 2023, medical aid in dying is legal in eleven jurisdictions: California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- End of Life Washington: https://endoflifewa.org/

- American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying: https://www.acamaid.org/

- Documentary: Bob’s Choice: Why a Seattle man chose death with dignity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOG6i2Mfu7E

If you enjoyed this episode, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

The Best Teachers Are the Best Learners | The Power of Teaching with Marianna Lead

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0700

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Many of us are familiar with this quote from Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching.

What our guest, Marianna Lead would want us to focus on is the next line in the Tao Te Ching: “When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear.” And that is because they can become one. In sharing her superhero power of Teaching, Marianna highlights that “the best teachers are the best learners.”

Marianna owns and operates a Internation Coaching Federation (ICF) approved coach training program, she’s an ICF-Certified Master Coach, she’s a life-long learner, and she recently joined the podcast to share with us her passion for teaching...which for her is synonymous with learning.

In this episode, Marianna answers the following questions:
- What is teaching and why is it important?
- What makes a good teacher?
- Why are open-ended questions valuable?
- How do your values and your needs inform your purpose and your brand?

At the end of the episode, we go a little deeper into her book, "Me, My Brand, and Why?" and talk about how it uniquely connects the concepts of purpose and personal branding. In the section on purpose, Marianna and her co-author smartly walk the reader through one's values and needs to reveal their true purpose, and I even take a stab at re-writing my purpose statement: "I believe I am unlocking my potential when I'm working with others to unlock their potential."

My favorite quote from the episode: “It’s important to remember that [coaches can] provide resources if you are an expert in something…but it’s like a gift you give [and] the client doesn’t have to unwrap it.”

What I know to be true about the episode: I love how Marianna connected one’s needs as a contributing factor for discovering one’s purpose.

What I learned from the episode: Marianna has me questioning my own thinking about how a teacher should always learning. For the classes I’ve taught, I don’t think I’ve continued to be as curious about those topics to continue to learn about them. Then again, maybe I’m not interested in leaning more about project management as I am about other things like curiosity, purpose, and neuroscience.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Marianna’s book: “Me, My Brand and WHY: Infuse WHO You Are Into What's Most Important” by Marianna Lead and Maureen Miller B. Ed https://bookshop.org/p/books/me-my-brand-and-why-infuse-who-you-are-into-what-s-most-important-marianna-lead-m-c-c/18565772?ean=9781458392541

- “ First Break All the Rules” by Marcus Buckingham https://bookshop.org/p/books/first-break-all-the-rules-what-the-world-s-greatest-managers-do-differently-gallup/594575?ean=9781595621115

- Marianna’s company: https://www.goalimageryinstitute.com/

If you like the episode, please do us a favor by leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner and is a Three Blue Pens production.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indig

Learning Agility: How Great Leaders Develop Their People and Managers

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

Learning agility is one of the most important leadership skills today, and yet it’s one of the least clearly understood.

If you’re a leader trying to develop your managers in a fast-changing environment, the ability to learn, unlearn, and adapt may matter more than any technical skill you bring to the role.

In this conversation on the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast, I’m joined by Melissa Janis to explore why learning agility for leaders has become a defining capability for effective management development and leadership development. Melissa believes learning agility isn’t just about personal growth. It’s about how leaders create the conditions for managers to grow.

We talk about what learning agility actually looks like in practice, why so many leadership development programs fail to build it, and how leaders can develop their people more effectively by closing the knowing–doing gap. This conversation is grounded, practical, and deeply human.

If you’ve ever wondered how to help your team adapt faster, think more critically, and grow into their potential, this episode will give you a new lens on leadership learning and development.

This conversation is for leaders who care deeply about developing people, leading through change, and building the kind of learning culture where growth doesn’t wait for formal training to happen.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Melissa Janis Consulting: https://www.melissajanis.com/
- “Learning Agility: The Key to Leader Potential" by David Hoff and Warner Burke https://www.abebooks.com/9780692995365/Learning-Agility-Key-Leader-Potential-0692995366/plp

In this episode, Melissa answers the following questions:
- How can I learn new skills as a manager?
- What does learning agility mean?
- What training should new managers have?
- Why does training fail for new managers?

My favorite quote from the episode: “To act in a crisis as if you’ve been there before? What a great thing that is. And the way you can get there is being able to learn really, really quickly.”

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is an invitation to be inspired to discover your superpower, unlock your potential, and create your impact in the world.

This podcast is for coaches, org development professionals, small business owners, people leaders, and anyone who is working on their leadership capabilities and personal growth in their pursuit of unlocking and living into their possibilities.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Keywords
#Learningagility #Leader #managementdevelopment #Leadershipdevelopment #peopledevelopment #manager #Leadershipskills #Leaderpotential, #Learningagilityforleaders #Howtodevelopyourmanagers #discoveryoursuperpower #unlockyourpotential #createmoreimpact

Coach finds purpose in teaching how to resolve conflict | Conflict Resolutionary with Kristine Scott

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0800

Some seek to understand conflict and conflict resolution through observation and studying the topics. Others are not as fortunate to keep it at a safe distance and apply the scientific method.

Our guest, Kristine Scott shares what she’s learned about conflict resolution from her firsthand experience, first while growing up in a house with a lot of conflict, then in her early career learning from youth living on the streets who had to learn conflict resolution skills to survive.

What Kristine has learned, however, is not only a set of techniques to resolve conflict, but she shares a perspective shift away from threat reduction and towards empathy and compassion towards someone who is hurting and who is searching for help.

In this episode, Kristine answers the following questions:

· What is conflict resolution? What is a Conflict Resolutionary?

· What are the principles of conflict resolution?

· What are the ways to resolve conflict?

· What skills are required to resolve conflict?

My favorite quote from the episode: “Conflict is someone entrusting you with their unmet need.”

What I know to be true about the episode: Kristine’s partial lived experience is the application of studying brights spots to get better at conflict resolution, maybe not a path one would chose, but definitely gaining a lot from those experiences, and having the courage to share those learnings with us.

What I learned from the episode: The perspective-shifting approach to conflict resolution, focused on managing our own resources and reactions so we can appropriately attend to the needs of the person who is bringing the conflict.

Inspiration: Lama Rod Owens: https://www.lamarod.com/

Book: “Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery" by Catherine Gildiner” by https://bookshop.org/p/books/good-morning-monster-a-therapist-shares-five-heroic-stories-of-emotional-recovery/18839158?ean=9781250878335

Book: “Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment: A Developmental Strategy to Liberate Everyone” by Leticia Nieto https://beyondinclusionbeyondempowerment.com/about-the-book/

Kristine’s company, Seattle Conflict Resolution, web site: https://www.seattleconflictresolution.com/

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

How to Unlock and Transform Teams | Making the Invisible Visible with Bennett Bratt

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0800

Can Team Coaching be more of an accelerator for performance than Leadership Coaching?

So much focus is placed on leaders and the role of leadership in organizations, but that’s the sound of one-hand clapping. As Bennett Bratt says, “If a leader is going to change, they need the crucible in which to do it, and that’s their team.”

Ben is a self-proclaimed Team Geek, and you are about to learn why this is well-earned moniker. This episode is “Making the Invisible Visible with Bennett Bratt.”

Bennett (Ben) Bratt helps leaders and their teams create the transformative, inclusive, and enduring changes in their team effectiveness that fuel their most deeply desired outcomes. He’s the author of The Team Discovered (BMI Publishing 2020) and he’d love to hear the story of your team.

In this episode, Ben answers the following questions:
- What do we mean by team effectiveness and collaboration?
- What are the components of team effectiveness?
- What is a leaders role in supporting teamwork?
- What is the role of a team in change?

To help leaders and teams see, discuss, and act on the thing that is getting in the way, aka the “invisible,” Ben uses a process called SNOW (See It Name It Own It Work It) and he’ll demonstrate it with the teams he’s working with to help them get into the practice.

My favorite quote from the episode: “You can coach a leader all you want, but that doesn’t change an ecosystem.”

What I know to be true about the episode: I admire how you can hear Ben's experience and wisdom resonate in how clear and precise his words are in this conversation.

What I learned from the episode: More of an amplification of how much of a limiting belief it is to place so much importance on one person, a leader, when almost everything gets done due to the interdependence of a team and the organization they reside in.

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found on the episode page at: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/video/team-coaching-making-the-invisible-visible-with-bennett-bratt
- Ben’s company, Team Elements
- Book: “Nonviolent Communication” by Marshall Rosenberg
- Book: "How to Know A Person" by David Brooks
- Book: The Team Discovered: Dialogic Team Coaching by Bennett Bratt

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Approaching DEI with Curiosity, Empathy, and Accountability [Bonus Episode with Kevin Jones]

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0800

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is under attack today and the topic came up in my conversation with Kevin Jones. Rather than discuss the current backlash and the temporary pendulum swing of systemic oppression pushing back, Kevin and I got into the role of curiosity, empathy, and accountability in how we think of and approach the work.

This bonus episode of the "What Do You Know To Be True?" is an excerpt of the "Intentional Curiosity with Kevin Jones" episode.

Kevin and I share a sense of purpose in helping others achieve their potential. We recognize that when systems are not designed for equity, we are not able to live into our potential when others are systemically blocked from achieving theirs. In order for us to be better coaches and consultants for others, we need to engage in dismantling those barriers.

To be clear, as my friend Mark Meadows shared with me once, “all perspectives are valid and partial,” meaning that Kevin and I want to acknowledge that our views are partial, that they come from a position of privilege we did not earn, and that they are reflective of where we are at in our journeys of unlearning and relearning at this moment.

In this episode, Kevin and I try to answer the following questions:
- How can I approach DEI with curiosity?
- What is the role of a leader with DEI?
- What is the role of empathy in DEI?
- How can you act with accountability in DEI work?

Resources:

- Book: “Opening the Corporate Closet Transforming Biases to Gay Advancement in Corporate America” by Kevin Jones: https://bookshop.org/p/books/opening-the-corporate-closet-transforming-biases-to-gay-advancement-in-corporate-america-kevin-w-jones/20037562?ean=9798888964422

- Book "The Sum of Us" by Heather McGee https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-sum-of-us-what-racism-costs-everyone-and-how-we-can-prosper-together-heather-mcghee/14618549?ean=9780525509585

- Book "Inclusion on Purpose" by Ruchika Tulshyan https://bookshop.org/p/books/inclusion-on-purpose-an-intersectional-approach-to-creating-a-culture-of-belonging-at-work-ruchika-tulshyan/17170649?ean=9780262046558

- Book: "Say The Right Thing" by Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow https://bookshop.org/p/books/say-the-right-thing-how-to-talk-about-identity-diversity-and-justice-david-glasgow/18751579?ean=9781982181383

- Book: “The Oz Principle” by Roger Connors, Craig Hickman, and Tom Smith https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-oz-principle-getting-results-through-individual-and-organizational-accountability-roger-connors/10796528?ean=9781591843481

- Song: "Invisible" by U2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajVoeX4eqIQ

We welcome your voice in this conversation and encourage you to engage with us in this discussion. Please share your thoughts in the comments section of the YouTube episode (https://youtu.be/YbRgJ5g0dl0) and we’ll see you there.

None of us alive today created the systems of inequity we live and work in today. But we have do a choice, and that’s to willfully ignore them, to actively work to change them, or to continue to try to benefit from them. This is the choice in front of us.

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. For more info: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Unveiling the power of curiosity | Intentional Curiosity with Kevin Jones

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0800

Transformations are inspiring and uplifting. Especially when the transformation is rooted in becoming more of who you’ve always been, and when you tear away all the expectations and biases that others have put on you.

That is our guest’s experience and I’m grateful he has joined the podcast in this episode to share what he’s learned along the way. This conversation is with Kevin Jones and it’s about his superhero power of Intentional Curiosity.

In this episode, Kevin answers the following questions…
- What is the meaning of curiosity?
- How does one be curious?
- What are the benefits of curiosity?
- Why are some people more curious than others?

Kevin highlights three themes in his story: curiosity, transformation, and being in service of others. Those three happen to be the underlying themes of this podcast series, and curiosity, transformation and being in service of others might also be the pathway to purpose.

Kevin shares how his journey back to curiosity led to his transformation, and how curiosity informs his approach to his coaching practice as well as to life.

My favorite quote from the episode: “What am I going to learn today? What will the next 45 minutes to an hour teach me about this person?"

What I know to be true about the episode: I love that Kevin’s transformation was not into something new, but becoming more of who he always was.

What I learned from the episode: This episode re-sparked my desire to become even more curious about people and spend more time asking questions rather than sharing details of myself to show I understand what they are saying.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Book: “Opening the Corporate Closet Transforming Biases to Gay Advancement in Corporate America” by Kevin Jones

Book: “The Second Mountain” by David Brooks:

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Creating Space for Well-being with Rebecca Hawkins

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0800

Is now the time for leaders to be focusing on well-being in the workplace?

In this time when we are experiencing a global mental health crisis, the answer is a resounding yes.
With epidemic levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness and isolation, when our fight or flight function is constantly being triggered, and the doomscrolling just feeds our sense of fear and dread for the world, having to show up at work could seem trivia at best,
and even another source of fear and dread at worst.
Since we spend more time at work than anywhere else, maybe it’s the workplace where we can begin to heal these problems and increase human connection.
That’s the path that Rebecca Hawkins is on, she’s living into her superhero power of “Creating Space for Well-being.”
In this episode, Rebecca answers the following questions:
- Why is well-being in the workplace an issue?
- What can be done to improve well-being in the workplace?
- What are the psychological drivers of wellbeing in the workplace?
- How can improving well-being in the workplace increase performance?
Rebecca talks about the importance of human connection and why the lack of connection, which is at epidemic levels, is a critical need now more than ever.
Rebecca shares steps she takes with leaders and organizations to help through psychological safety, finding purpose in the work, and creating authentic connections to increase well-being, achieve business results, and become a talent magnet.
Favorite quote from the episode: “The key to holding space for others is knowing that they are the experts in themselves.”
What I know to be true about the episode: Rebecca’s passion and purpose for creating well-being is deeply rooted in her our journey and that doing this work is not only healing for herself, but it’s a way of inviting others to join in and healing the world, starting at the workplace.
What I learned from the episode: Rebecca shared the research of Jeffrey Polzer and the Vulnerability Loop, how one person being vulnerable does invite and encourage others to be vulnerable, and how she uses vulnerability as part of creating the container for others to do the same.
Special thanks to Alexander Milov for giving permission to use the image of his "Love" sculpture from 2015 Burning Man festival. To read the fascinating history of the sculpture, go to: https://milova.net/love
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Regenerative Workplaces: https://www.regenerativeworkplaces.com/
Book: The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmundson
Book: Life’s Great Question by Tom Rath
If you like the episode, please do us a favor by leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.
Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.
For more info on the pod, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/ "What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-lands.ca

How to Unlock Superpowers in Others | Empowering Superhero Powers with Juliane Mau

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0800

“The knowledge of your superhero power is not enough.”

Juliane has been working with leaders long enough to know the value of awareness of one’s talents is not enough. The value comes from using that talent at the right time and in the right way. But wait, there’s more: the value also comes in knowing when to stop and change directions.

It's a double lesson, a two for one, that Juliane shares with us today. And I am grateful for it.

In this episode, Juliane answers the following questions:

- How to help others apply their superhero powers?

- Why is knowledge alone of one’s superhero power not enough?

- What are the principles to follow when coaching someone else to use their superhero powers more effectively?

- How do HR Business Partners help grow the leaders they support?

To guide how to put those talents into play, Juliane recommends that it’s through the principles of perseverance, adaptability, discipline, and accountability that individuals are then able to amplify the effectiveness of using those extraordinary talents in order to have an even greater impact on others.

In her work as a Human Resources Business Partner, Juliane works closely with leaders and their leadership teams on initiatives to get the highest productivity and performance out of their people as possible.

To be successful in that role, you not only need to be able to identify the talents of each leader, you need to know how to help them show up and express their superhero powers in ways that positively impact the work, that enable increased performance from their people, and that create a more positive working environment. And this is what Juliane does well.

Favorite quote from the episode: “Emotions are advisors you don’t have to take their advice.”

What I know to be true about the episode: The principles that Juliane laid out, perseverance, adaptability, discipline, and accountability, are a great foundation for anyone who is working on their craft and on their path of growth. Very applicable.

What I learned from the episode: Juliane has invested the time and has the experience to back up her principles for enabling others; superhero powers. And I love that those same principles for the application are the same that she uses in the enablement of leaders…which does make sense since it’s her superhero power.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Book: “The Power of Ted” by David Emerald https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-of-ted-the-empowerment-dynamic-10th-anniversary-edition-david-emerald/11740289?ean=9780996871808

If you like the episode, please do us a favor by leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

“What Do You Know To Be True?” is hosted by Roger Kastner and is a production of Three Blue Pens. For more information about the podcast and for more episodes, check out: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com

“What Do You Know To Be True?” is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Savoring the Best Things with Melissa Martinez Barroso

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0800

If you enjoy this episode, please tell one other person. Thank you!

In this season of gratitude and giving thanks, I am so grateful for our guest, Melissa Martinez Barroso and the experiences and the story she shares with us about what she knows to be true about savoring the best things in life.

In this episode, Melissa answers the following questions:
- What is savoring?
- How do you savor the best things in life?
- What is an example of savoring?
- How can savoring help with depression and anxiety?

A few years ago, Melissa had moved from her hometown of Mexico City to New York City, and when she shared her stories of weekend adventures, those stories had a special spark.

Melissa’s stories were amplified by finding joy in the present. And my presumption had been she was doing this primarily in the pursuit of joy and positive experiences alone.

And yet, recently, Melissa shared with me that her practice of savoring did not start out that way. It was not to find joy and mindfulness at the beginning, but it was a conscious choice for survival and healing.

In this episode, Melissa shares what savoring means to her, and how it is now a way of life.

Resources for mental health concerns:

If you or someone that is having a mental health crisis, please call or text 988 immediately, or you can go to their website and chat with a counselor: https://988lifeline.org/

ANAD is committed to providing free, peer support services to anyone struggling with an eating disorder. You can access the ANAS helpline at 1-888-375-7767, and get more information on their website at: https://anad.org/get-help/eating-disorders-helpline/

Resources for savoring:

Book: “Savoring: A New Model for Positive Experience” by Fred Bryant and Joseph Veroff https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2220603.Savoring

Book: “4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Olver Burkeman https://www.oliverburkeman.com/books

Podcast: Hidden Brain two-part episode with Fred Bryant
Part 1 https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-2-0-slow-down/
Part 2: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-2-0-make-the-good-times-last/

Article: “10 Steps to Savoring the Good Things in Life” from Greater Good Magazine
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/10_steps_to_savoring_the_good_things_in_life

If you like the episode, please do us a favor by leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

“What Do You Know To Be True?” is hosted by Roger Kastner and is a production of Three Blue Pens.

“What Do You Know To Be True?” is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Lead with Quiet Confidence with Jennifer Marcou

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0800

Introverts can be as effective leaders as an extrovert. Introverts don't have to shout out the first answer or pound their fists on the table to be just as influential. They do this by leading with quiet confidence.

As a female leader in a male-dominated industry, Jennifer Marcou found that her natural style of working, and her gender, was not well represented in her peer group, and definitely not in the ranks above hers. She was faced with challenge of putting on a mask and leading inauthentically, or learning how to lead in a way that was authentic to her own style, to, as she says, how her brain works.

This conversation is with Jennifer Marcou and how she coaches others to Lead with Quiet Confidence.

In this episode, Jennifer answers the following questions:
- What is like to be an introvert? And what is like to be an introverted leader?
- What is the difference between introverts and extroverts?
- How to use the introverted behavior as a strength?
- What it's like to be an introvert in an extrovert world?
- How to Lead with Quiet Confidence?

In this conversation, Jennifer shares with us how she recognized how to work with and how to lead with her introversion, and how she now coaches other leaders to work with their natural styles and use those styles as an advantage, not something to cover over.
Her message, like that of others who speak on the advantages of introversion, is a great one for introverts to embrace and to embrace their introversion as nothing more than a style.

It’s also a powerful message for extroverts and ambiverts to learn so we can be better aware of what we can do differently to be more inclusive and be better partners and co-creators with everyone in the room…not just the ones who are first to speak or speak the loudest, but for those who whose voices are equally valuable, important, and worthy of being heard and being engaged in the conversation.

Resources mentioned in the episode…
Jennifer’s company, Marcou Coaching: https://www.marcoucoaching.com/

Lead with Quiet Confidence Program: https://leadwithquietconfidence.com/

Book: “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain https://bookshop.org/p/books/quiet-the-power-of-introverts-in-a-world-that-can-t-stop-talking-susan-cain/8213418?ean=9780307352156

Book: “Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead” by Tara Mohr https://bookshop.org/p/books/playing-big-practical-wisdom-for-women-who-want-to-speak-up-create-and-lead-tara-mohr/7788504?ean=9781592409600

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us. For more information, go to www.WhatDoYouKnowToBeTrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Empathy with Enrique Martin [How to be empathetic with anyone]

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0800

This is a masterclass in empathy. Enrique Martin lays out path to being empathetic, and makes a clear distinction between sympathy, empathy, and compassion. Enrique has such a wonderful way of sharing the immense knowledge he’s gathered along his journey and I am very grateful for his patience and empathy towards me every time we gather.

In this episode, Enrique answers the following questions:
- What is empathy?
- How is empathy different from sympathy and compassion?
- What are some behaviors of empathy?
- How to show empathy with someone?
- What is the impact of being empathetic?

Enrique shares his definition of true empathy is when we can sit with total respect of the other person, without judgement, acknowledging that they are a legitimate person who is creative, resourceful, and whole, and feel with them.

He pulls apart the differences between empathy and pity or sympathy, saying that pity and sympathy carries with them a judgment of being superior over the target of these emotions.

And Enrique shares the journey to being more empathetic with others starts with being more empathetic towards ourselves. As he says, “to be able to sit with ourself, with total respect for ourselves and not being judgmental, and acknowledge that we are a legitimate person.”

If you have not ever done that, try it. What a gift that feeling is when we’ve done that. And what a gift Enrique is sharing with us in this episode.

Books the Enrique references in the episode:

“Ontología del Lenguaje” by Rafael Echeverria
https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/ontologia-lenguaje-ontology-language/author/rafael-echeverria/
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance-robert-m-pirsig?variant=40827304509474

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

Job Seekers: Crafting Resumes and Career Narratives with Keelan Hawkins

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0800

Writing a resume is hard for most people. OK, I’ll say it: the process sucks.

Keelan Hawkins and I recently met when she was helping me rewrite my resume, and while I thought my resume and career story was pretty good before, I can confidently say both are much better now.

Keelan not only makes the process easier, her focus is in empowering people to be better equipped to tell a clearer, more relevant career narrative and having a better resume that highlights that career narrative.

Keelan brings a thoughtful process and approach that invites the individual to explore their purpose and their impact, and to be vulnerable in understanding what is meaningful for the individual. It is from that understanding that a relevant and differentiated story can begin to be told.

In this episode, Keelan answers the following questions:
- What is the best resume advice?
- What are hiring managers looking for in a resume and interview?
- How to re-write your resume to get attention?
- Why is answering 'Why do I do what I do?' so important to your resume and career narrative?

Keelan a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Poetry from Bowling Green State and a Master’s degree in Rhetoric and Composition from Appalachian State. It is not hard to image how poetry and rhetoric would be helpful in writing a resume and crafting a career narrative. Keelan is also a career coach, an instructor, and a writer, and in this conversation, we get to hear how this background of seemingly separate journeys weave together to create an amazingly strong and resilient tapestry that empowers and informs this work.

I’m excited to share this conversation with Keelan because she has a superhero power most of us can benefit from. Based on my experiences, anyone that can make that process easier and can help us craft a better career story, that is undoubtedly a superhero power with a meaningful impact on others.

The book mentioned in the episode: “Triggering Town” by Richard Hugo
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/67599

For those interested in hiring Keelan for career narrative consultation, you can reach out to Keelan at keelanhawkins@gmail.com

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, and in doing so a maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Collaborative Leadership with Sarah Popelka

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0800

Sarah Popelka believes that Collaborative Leadership is the most effective way to lead. Not because it's a “nice” thing to do, or because it makes people feel engaged, but because it creates agency and accountability in the work and builds community and well-being across the organization.

By being authentic and focused on community goals, Sarah demonstrated collaborative leadership increases the quality of performance, decision-making, and relationships-building along with her fellow Co-Executive Director, Mario Flores, to help Global Visionaries survive and ultimately thrive after 4 of the most tumultuous years in the 22-year history of the organization.

In this episode, Sarah answers the following questions:
- What is collaborative leadership?
- What is a collaborative leadership style?
- What are the values of collaborative leadership?
- What are the benefits of collaborative leadership in the workplace?

Through their partnership, and with the buy-in and dedication from their staff, they were able to lead Global Visionaries, a youth leadership development non-profit in Guatemala and in the United States, through a series of very difficult events: the financial impacts of cancelled trips due to a volcanic eruption, flight disruptions, unsustainable financial models, the aftermath of the departure of the founder and another Executive Director…and, oh year, a global pandemic that required a complete re-write of how GV delivers programs to youth.

Although Sarah recently left to become the Executive Director of another organization, GV is in the strongest position it’s ever been, and that’s a testament to all involved. And a style of leadership that is authentic, requires humility and vulnerability, invites participation and buy-in, and ultimately builds community.

For more information about GV and Community for Youth:
Global Visionaries: https://globalvisionaries.org/
Community for Youth: https://www.communityforyouth.org/

And the book that Sarah recommends is “Humble Inquiry” by Edgar and Peter Schein:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575055/humble-inquiry-second-edition-by-edgar-h-schein-and-peter-a-schein/

If you like the episode, please do us a favor by recommending it to a friend, and leaving a review, hitting that like button, and subscribing. This helps others discover the podcast.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, and in doing so a maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique. For more info: got to https://WhatDoYouKnowToBeTrue.com

“What Do You Know To Be True?” is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Building Resilience and Adaptability | Adaptability and Resilience with Bill Hefferman

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0700

“Resilience doesn’t help you cope in spite of hard times, it helps you grow because of hard times. “

Bill Hefferman has been studying resilience and adaptability for over 20 years and shares with everybody what he’s learned along the way. Today we’re fortunate to put us amongst those ranks.

Professionally, Bill guides teams and leaders through tough issues and challenging times. An expert facilitator and engaging instructor, for over 30 years Bill has led initiatives across a range of companies, countries, and cultures. Known as a passionate expert on leading for resilience and adaptability, Bill offers practical principles, tools, and techniques for all to grow and flourish through the nonstop adversity and uncertainty that’s so much a part of our world today.

In this conversation, Bill answers the following questions:
- What it means to be resilient? What does it mean to have resilience?
- What it means to have adaptability?
- What makes a person resilient and adaptable?
- What builds resilience? What builds adaptability?
- How do we build resilience and adaptability in others?

I am grateful whenever I get to hear Bill share his experiences in both learning and teaching others about resilience and adaptability. I love how he breaks down that while resilience does help with dealing with stress and adversity, it is resilience and adaptability that help us bounce forward and becoming stronger because we went through that challenge.

Bill shared an important perspective from Kelly McGonigal that I think is worth remembering, a well-lived life is not a stress-free life.

For more information on Bill Hefferman...
His website: https://www.billhefferman.com/
His LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billheffe...
His Substack: https://billhefferman.substack.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, and in doing so a maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

Charting a path to purpose starts with a deeper understanding of one’s superhero power and how to make a meaningful impact in service of others.

This podcast is for anyone who helps other people unlock their challenges and achieve their potential. Our audience wants to think deeply about their work and how to increase the positive impact it has in service of others.

The goal of these conversations is not to try to emulate it or “hack” our way to a new talent. Instead, the intention is to learn more about their experiences with their superhero power, and in doing so maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique.

Our guests bring humility, insights, gratitude, and humor as they delve deep into their experiences, learnings, and impact their "superhero power" has had when used successfully.

The path to purpose: Ordinary people, extraordinary talent, meaningful impact in the service of others.

Unlock the Power of the Stories We Tell Ourselves | Rewriting Inner Narratives with Corinna Calhoun

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 17:00:00 -0700

You can change that story you are telling yourself. Corinna has a four-step process for rewriting that inner narrative.

But first, a quick heads up: in this episode, we talk about our guest’s involvement as a counselor for a youth mental health crisis hotline, and how she works with teenagers who are experiencing thoughts of self-harm and suicide. If this is a topic that is too uncomfortable, please consider forwarding through that portion of the episode, or skipping this episode altogether. This part of the conversation happens from 24:50–30:45 in the episode.

If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, please call or text 988 or go to https://988lifeline.org/ immediately.

Additionally, The Trevor Project is a resource for LGBTQ youth who are experiencing a mental health crisis. To reach a counselor, you can text 678-678, call 1-866-488-7386, or go to https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

In this episode, we speak with Corinna Calhoun about her extraordinary talent in helping others to rewrite their inner narrative. Corinna shares how to understand, unpack, and change that story we’re telling ourselves.

In this conversation, Corinna answers the following questions:
- What stories do we tell ourselves?
- How do you change the stories we tell ourselves?
- What is the impact of the stories we tell ourselves?
- How to help others change the stories they tell themselves?

We cover how she became inspired to rewrite her inner narrative, and from that experience, she shares the four-step approach she learned that she now uses to help others to rewrite their inner narrative. And of course, she tells us what she’s learned to be true and not true about rewriting the stories we tell ourselves.

What can stand between us and the thing we want for ourselves or how we show up for others, are what Corinna refers to as limiting thoughts and the deep groove of a storyline that we keep repeating to ourselves. And yet, we can make a different choice.

The reflection question for us is what is the story we’re telling ourselves about our own superhero power? And if we don't like that story, what are we going to do about that?

Corinna shows us how we can rewrite our storylines to have a new narrative that helps us be who we want to be and how we show up for ourselves and others.

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

“What Do You Know To Be True?” is hosted by Roger Kastner and is a production of Three Blue Pens. “What Do You Know To Be True?” is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Creating Authentic Connections with Mike Geyer

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0700

If you know Mike Geyer or got to meet him, you know you’re in for a different conversation than most.

That’s because Mike buzzes with an intention to create moments that matter through meaningful connections. Mike shares stories and approaches he uses to create authentic connections in every facet of his life. And it starts with an invitation.

In this conversation, Mike answers the following questions:
- What is an authentic connection?
- How do I create an authentic connection?
- What are the possibilities and benefits of an authentic connection?
- How do I create an invitation for a different type of interaction?
- How to create your own coffee shop name?

Instead of a normal conversation or a simple beverage transaction, Mike offers an invitation through vulnerability, play, humor, and creativity which engages his counterpart into a more engaged interaction - or it doesn't. But when it works, great things are possible because he has created something he and the other person have co-created and can share. It's from these conditions that he’s created, and the invitation he’s put out there, that the stage is set for great things to happen.

Which leads us to consider, what are the conditions that allow our superhero powers to thrive? And how can we create the right environment for our star to shine, and for the stars of others to shine even brighter?

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Trailer: What Do You Know To Be True?

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 23:00:00 -0700

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations with ordinary people about their extraordinary talent, their superhero power, that when used well it creates meaningful impact with others. The goal of the conversations is not to try to emulate it or “hack” our way to a new talent. Instead, I’m curious to learn what inspired them to develop this extraordinary talent, how they think about their superhero power, and the impact it has on others as well as themselves. The intention is to learn more about their experiences with their superhero power, and in doing so a maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique.

I am very grateful for the openness, humility, courage, and humor each of our guests bring to these conversations. It is an honor to be able to have these conversations, and I appreciate what the guests bring to each experience.

I also appreciate the moments of reflection we individually can take in learning more about our own unique gifts that we can offer to others.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Music featured in this trailer was created by Bill Hefferman and Ian Kastner.