The HumanUp Imperative

How To Be A Partner In Change Not The Arbiter

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0500

How to Be the Partner in Change, Not the Arbiter

Healthcare has never had more ways to reach people: calls, texts, emails, portal nudges, AI outreach. Yet health still isn't communicated in the most relevant way to the people who need it most.

Rex Wallace talks with Michelle Bellon, CEO of Rescue Agency, a behavior change company whose work covers vaping, substance use, healthy eating and mental health. Michelle explains why knowledge is rarely what's missing, why fear and facts make people tune out, and why anyone asking for change should take on some of the burden of it.

In this conversation:

The "whoa moment": why up to 95% of behavior runs on autopilot, and how to create space for someone to reconsider
The McDonald's drive-thru test: building healthy swaps that cost no more time or money
Why people don't have to change for your reasons to make a real change
Why communications designed for everybody reach nobody
When nudges work, and when they go into the abyss

Caring or Converting: Is AI Working For Us or On Us?

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0500

The apps in your pocket are built to keep you. A behavioral scientist explains how to tell when technology is caring for you and when it is quietly working you over.

Eden Brownell works at the intersection of behavioral science and AI. She started in theater, moved through the foster care system and public health, and now studies how the systems around us shape the choices we make. Rex Wallace sits down with her to pull apart one uncomfortable question: are the tools transforming our lives designed to help us, or to hold us in place?

They get into the difference between empathy and persuasion on a screen, why good design makes it easy to leave, the dark patterns hiding inside everyday apps, and what we lose when we hand off our ability to choose. Eden also shares something personal about connection, patience, and what AI can and cannot be for the people who use it.

If you lead a team, build a product, or care about the human on the other end of the technology, this one will stay with you.

In this episode:

Why behavioral science has to lead AI, not follow it
The difference between caring about members and caring about numbers
Context beats character: designing for the person at their lowest
The dark patterns we live with, from autoplay to the cancellation maze
What we lose when we outsource our choices
Connection, patience, and what a machine cannot be

Books mentioned: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, Grit by Angela Duckworth

The HumanUp Imperative explores human connection, leadership, and the future of how we work. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

The Power Of Discord

Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Healthy relationships are mismatched 70% of the time. That's not a problem to fix. According to today's guest, it's the whole design.

Dr. Claudia Gold is a pediatrician and co-author of The Power of Discord with Dr. Ed Tronick, the researcher behind the famous Still Face experiment. Their work shows that the out-of-sync, messy, imperfect moments in any relationship are where trust actually gets built.

Rex and Claudia get into what that means at work: why curiosity beats certainty, what emotional absence looks like on a team, why "good enough" is essential and not just acceptable, and why "not knowing" might be the most underrated skill a leader can develop.

If you've ever felt a working relationship go sideways and didn't know how to fix it, this one's for you.

Find Claudia: ClaudiaMGoldMD.com | LinkedIn: ClaudiaMGold

Humor As A Superpower

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500

What if the most underrated leadership skill isn't emotional intelligence, executive presence, or strategic thinking — it's a sense of humor?

Paul Osincup spent 15 years researching exactly that. He's a keynote speaker, author of The Humor Habit, and host of the Laugh or Death podcast — and his work with Google, Harvard, and hundreds of other organizations makes a case that humor isn't a soft skill. It's a survival skill.

In this episode, we dig into what it actually means to live and lead in a VUCA world — volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous — and why humor might be the most direct path to resilience, connection, and psychological safety on your team.

What we cover:
Why laughter nosedives at age 23 and doesn't recover until nearly 80 — and what that costs us

Humorous reappraisal: the Stanford-backed technique for reframing setbacks (even grief)

The DOSE chemicals humor releases — and why shared laughter creates real trust

A Berkeley study that shows strangers who laugh together like each other more — immediately

The humor triangle: which types of humor build connection vs. which ones blow it up

Why self-deprecating humor is low-risk — unless you're a surgeon joking about being clumsy

The 4 P's: Permission + Participation = Psychological Safety
The "humor jar" — a dead-simple team ritual to double the ROI of funny moments

One 7-day habit that increased happiness and reduced depressive symptoms for up to six months

Paul also shares the story of losing his mom — and how finding humor in even that moment changed his relationship with resilience. It's the most honest thing in this episode.
The quote that started this conversation: "Don't live your life as an actor in a drama just to reach the end and find out you were the director — and it could have been a comedy."
Connect with Paul:
🌐 thehumorhabit.com
📚 The Humor Habit — available wherever books are sold
🎙️ Laugh or Death Podcast
Connect with Rex & The HumanUp Imperative:
🌐 [RWC Consulting website]
🎙️ Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts

The HumanUp Imperative explores the human skills — connection, leadership, trust, and relationships — that technology can't replace.
#HumanUp #Leadership #HumorAtWork #PsychologicalSafety #TheHumorHabit #PaulOsincup #VUCA #Resilience #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment

Is AI More Biological or Technological- It’s Complicated!

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In Season 2, Episode 3 of The HumanUp Imperative, Rex Wallace is joined by Dr. John Sviokla, co-founder of GAI Insights and Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, for a grounded, forward-looking conversation on AI and its implications for healthcare leaders. Dr. Sviokla argues that by 2030, every competitive organization will operate as a hybrid of human and machine intelligence, and that healthcare is no exception. He walks through his RISE framework for AI adoption, explains why AI is a capability that must be grown rather than a technology you simply install, and makes the case that senior leaders, not just IT teams, need to be hands-on with these tools. The episode also explores the human stakes of AI deployment: organizational values, decision authority at the edge, and what it means to optimize not just for human audiences but for the AI models increasingly sitting between organizations and their customers.

The Senior VP & The Minivan ~ Lessons In Leadership Through Connection

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:00:00 -0600

Gary Culp, SVP of Government Markets at Blue Shield of California, joins Rex Wallace to explore what human-centered leadership looks like in real healthcare environments. Gary shares how he assesses culture before joining an organization, builds trust without leaning on hierarchy, and removes barriers so teams can deliver better experiences. They discuss leading in hybrid and virtual settings, forming true partnerships with vendors, and celebrating wins. The takeaway for healthcare leaders: improving patient and member experience (and the outcomes tied to it) starts with how you lead people.

The Zen Lobbyist How Presence Became Gary Jacobs’ Greatest Policy Tool

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:00:00 -0600

In this episode of The HumanUp Imperative, host Rex Wallace sits down with Gary Jacobs, longtime healthcare lobbyist, proud dad and grandpa, and author of The Zen Lobbyist, to unpack why presence, compassion, and silence can be as persuasive as any talking point on Capitol Hill.
From Gary’s early days shaping Medicare policy and navigating the intensity of Washington, to the health scares that forced him to confront stress head-on, we explore how a “hyper-executive” life can pull you out of yourself and how mindfulness practices can bring you back. Along the way, Gary makes the case that members of Congress and policy leaders are not just decision-makers. They are humans first. When advocacy becomes relationship-driven instead of transactional, influence changes shape.
We cover:
🧘 Mindfulness in the pressure cooker: why “silence is strategy, compassion is influence, and gratitude is renewal” reframes what effective advocacy looks like in DC.
🩺 Patient first, then mindful patient: panic attacks, anxiety, a blood clot, and a stroke scare that Gary did not recognize in real time, and how those moments rewired his priorities.
🌿 The pivot point: biofeedback, the Chopra Center, and how Gary embraced meditation and yoga as a holistic operating system, not just a wellness hobby.
📦 Box breathing as a real-world tool: the simple four-count method that helps you walk into high-stakes meetings calmer, clearer, and less reactive when life is happening at the same time.
🤝 Human connection beats transactions: why relationships built on authenticity outlast check-writing influence, and how being a trusted translator of “truth on the ground” shapes better policy.
🧭 The vision: a primary-care-led “dream team” model for every American that includes clinicians, behavioral health, navigators, home care, nutrition, and even yoga and meditation support, powered by analytics but anchored in dignity.
⚖️ Value-based care beyond the triple aim: how equity and workforce wellbeing fit into the future, why payment reform alone is not enough, and why slogans do not change incentives.
💥 Leading through loss: Gary’s most helpful failure, losing what he built and rebuilding with intention, courage, and authenticity.
📚 Rapid fire: the one book he returns to repeatedly, the belief that grounds execution, and the reminder that presence is not a tactic. It is a gift.
✨ One way to human up: stop rehearsing life, stop clinging to certainty, and practice being present so you can meet people as humans, not roles.

2025 Wrap Up

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:00:00 -0600

In the final episode of 2025, Rex looks back on a transformative year of The Human Up Imperative—revisiting each conversation, spotlighting standout moments, and sharing his favorite quotes and takeaways from every guest. He highlights the books and resources that shaped the year’s dialogue and unpacks the themes that surfaced repeatedly across episodes.

At the heart of this year-end reflection is the reminder that human connection is the throughline of every story told and every insight shared. Rex closes out 2025 with gratitude, inspiration, and a renewed commitment to helping leaders “human up” as they head into the year ahead.

Serving with Dignity - The Human Side of Hunger and Purpose with Rick Whitted

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 02:00:00 -0600

In this episode of The HumanUp Imperative, host Rex Wallace sits down with Rick Whitted, 30-year “recovering banker” turned CEO of US Hunger, to explore what it really means to restore dignity in healthcare and community work. From losing everything as a young entrepreneur with a pregnant wife and two small kids, to leading a national nonprofit that treats food as a doorway into people’s stories, Rick unpacks why you can’t human up anyone you haven’t first given voice.

We follow his journey from proud, never-failed banker to a leader who has stared at a pantry box on his own kitchen table—and built an entire model of care around that moment of quiet, complicated shame and relief. Along the way, Rex and Rick make a provocative case: we don’t have a disengaged population, we have an unengaged one—and the difference is everything.

We cover:
🍽 “It’s never about food”: why almost 92% of people US Hunger serves are juggling 2–5 overlapping gaps (not just food), and how food becomes the safest, most flexible social determinant—and the perfect on-ramp to deeper conversations.

🗣 Dignity as voice: how starting with a private, judgment-free conversation (“the bots don’t gossip”) gives people control of their own story, and why you can’t claim dignity, respect, or “human up” if you haven’t listened first.

📊 The hidden hungry: what US Hunger’s real-time data reveals about the “working, insured, food-insecure” class, why benefits or income disruptions push them over the edge, and how the SNAP/WIC shutdown scare surfaced a vulnerable population that doesn’t show up on paper.

🏥 Health plans, supplemental benefits & missed ROI: why the failure isn’t offering food and other benefits—it’s deploying them as transactions with no engagement strategy—and how converting food into an incentive for engagement changes quality and Stars math.

🤝 Community-based orgs as trust brokers: how US Hunger embeds with case management and community teams so members can connect with the plan through a trusted CBO, and why “food is engagement” is more than a tagline when it’s wired into Z codes, SNOMED, and real outcomes.

🏠 “You can’t treat strangers better than your own house”: inside US Hunger’s culture practices—team syncs, quarterly “recharges,” Gallup surveys, and radical manager accountability—and why Rick insists the ethos for member dignity must start with how you treat your employees.

💥 The cardboard box moment: Rick’s most helpful personal failure—losing his business after 9/11, staring at that pantry box from his grandmother and aunts, crying alone in the bathroom—and how that experience shaped his empathy for people who would never ask for help.

💸 The hardest call he ever made: choosing not to furlough two-thirds of his staff in 2020, burning through cash and clawing back over years instead—and how that decision rewired the organization’s trust, fear level, and loyalty.

📚 Books & anchors: Rick’s own book Outgrow Your Space at Work on how we emotionally translate our careers, plus the daily role of faith and devotionals in “saving his humanity from himself.”

✨ One way to human up: stop diagnosing people—and organizations—before you’ve listened. Start inside your own walls, one manager and one conversation at a time, and design every engagement so it quietly tells the person in front of you: you have a voice, and it matters here.

Pea Soup and Patient Experience A Conversation with Rich Schwartz

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0600

In this deeply human episode of The HumanUp Imperative, host Rex Wallace sits down with Rich Schwartz, filmmaker turned pharma CX strategist, WebMD alum, patient advocate, dog and horse whisperer, to unpack why trust and reciprocity function like clinical variables. From Rich’s roots documenting health in Appalachia to his work redesigning experiences across pharma, devices, and diagnostics, we explore how patients end up swimming in “pea soup” with providers, payers, PBMs, pharmacies, and public programs and what it takes to restore clarity, compassion, and outcomes.
We cover:
🧪 “Experiences of medicine”: why expectations plus realities equal outcomes, and how trust, reciprocity, and compassion (think Compassionomics, The Rabbit Effect, The Wonder Drug) measurably improve adherence and healing.
🧭 Rich’s arc: storyteller in Appalachia, then WebMD, then life sciences CX; the personal health crisis that humbled him and reframed his mission.
🥣 “Pea soup,” explained: how misaligned incentives across patients, providers, payers, PBMs, pharmacies, and public programs create friction, and why the patient P too often loses.
•💊 At the counter: a plain-English tour of WAC, rebates, PBMs, wholesalers, and 340B spreads, plus Rich’s call for transparency that benefits the actual human paying $100 at the pharmacy.
📺 DTC reality check: massive TV ad spend vs. meaningful patient support, what “67% took an action” leaves out, and how to redirect budget into real experience programs.
🧑‍⚕️ From sales rep to “resolution rep”: easing practice burden to fight clinician burnout and protect the one thing doctors value most, the relationship with patients.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Teach people to be effective patients: self-advocacy, the right to “fire” a misaligned clinician, and Rich’s favorite acronym: GAS (Gives A Sh*t).
📈 The Helpfulness Index: Rich’s metric for manufacturers and teams, are you actually showing up helpful to patients and providers, within compliance.
🌄 Awe and moral beauty: why witnessing humans help humans changes us; book picks including Dacher Keltner’s Awe, Harari’s Sapiens, and Unreasonable Hospitality.
💼 Leading through loss: layoffs, letting go, and the courage to publish; imposter syndrome, children’s stories, and why dogs and horses keep us honest.
✨ One way to human up: design for fewer negative moments since they outweigh positives, then obsess over small, repeatable acts of helpfulness that clearly signal we give a sh*t.

Unacknowledged Grief: The Losses We Don’t Talk About, and How to Heal

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:00:00 -0500

👉 Unacknowledged Grief: The Losses We Don’t Talk About, and How to Heal

In this deeply human episode of The HumanUp Imperative, host Rex Wallace sits down with Dr. Saba Syed, pharmacist, healthcare leader, mom, and TEDx speaker, to explore a topic most of us never discuss but nearly all of us experience: unacknowledged grief.

From the seismic shift of a child’s autism diagnosis to the quiet ache of job loss or estranged relationships, Dr. Syed shares how grief that isn’t publicly recognized can shape our lives, and how naming it is the first step toward healing.

We cover:

🌱 What “disenfranchised” or unacknowledged grief really is and why it’s so often overlooked.
🧭 Saba’s personal journey navigating her son’s autism diagnosis, career changes, and the hidden grief they brought.
🪶 The ASMR framework: Acknowledge, Seek support, Mourn, and Ritualize, practical steps to process grief that society doesn’t see.
🧑‍💼 What leaders should watch for: subtle signs your team may be struggling, and how to create psychologically safe spaces at work.
❤️ How authenticity, empathy, and even small rituals can transform how we support ourselves and others through loss.
✨ Why you’re never really done grieving, and how that truth can set you free.

S1E5-Human Connection In A Brutal Job Market Part 2

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:00:00 -0500

👉 Job Seeking in 2025, Part 2: Inside the Hiring Room: What Recruiters & Leaders Want You to Know

In today’s episode of The HumanUp Imperative, host Rex Wallace flips the lens to the people connecting candidates to opportunities. He’s joined by Jamie Masters (Senior Director of Recruiting, Executive Staffing Solutions), Timshel Tarbet (former Chief Healthcare Experience & Equity Officer), and Jeff Grant (President & Founder, Schedule F Healthcare Strategies) to share what truly stands out and what quietly sinks you in this market.
These leaders bring deep experience across healthcare quality, equity, HR/recruiting, and Medicare/Medicaid programs, and they get candid about how hiring really works in 2025.

We cover:
The new normal in hiring: return-to-office/hybrid expectations, tighter comp ranges, and longer interview cycles.
What makes candidates pop: referrals, results-driven resumes, org-specific prep, strong follow-through, and a clean, professional virtual presence.
Bias-aware applications: why to skip headshots, be smart about dates, and highlight outcomes over duties.
Networking that actually moves the needle: relationship-first habits on and off LinkedIn, and how to ask for help without feeling awkward.
How to support job seekers: don’t ghost, check in on the human behind the resume, offer introductions, and create psychologically safe spaces.
Mindset for the long haul: why rejection ≈ redirection, how making progress builds hope, and why kindness matters on both sides of the screen.

📌 Chapters:
0:00 – Introduction
1:20 – Meet the panel: Jamie, Timshel, and Jeff
6:00 – The 2025 job market: hybrid, comp ranges, and slower hiring cycles
12:00 – What candidates often get wrong (and how to stand out)
18:30 – Networking, referrals, and the courage to ask for help
25:00 – Resumes: outcomes vs. job descriptions
32:00 – Virtual presence, interviews, and avoiding hidden bias
39:30 – How to support job seekers: what helps vs. what hurts
46:00 – Mindset shifts: rejection, resilience, and hope
50:00 – Rapid-fire: book recommendations & final advice
Whether you’re searching, supporting someone who is, or hiring in healthcare, this conversation delivers practical tactics and honest truths to navigate a tough market with clarity and heart.

S1 E5 Human Connection In A Brutal Job Market Part 1

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Job Seeking in 2025: Real Stories, Real Struggles, and How to Help

In today’s episode of The HumanUp Imperative*, host **Rex Wallace* sits down with *Deb Dorsch* and *Burn Orton* to explore what it’s really like to job hunt in today’s tough employment market.

Both guests bring decades of experience in **healthcare quality, compliance, learning and development, and Medicare/Medicaid programs**—and both are navigating career transitions after major organizational downsizing.

We cover:

The reality of today’s **job search process**: applications, ghosting, and burnout.
How to cope with rejection, uncertainty, and financial stress.
The role of *networking, mentorship, and psychologically safe spaces* in finding new roles.
How friends, colleagues, and employers can actually help during this season.
The emotional rollercoaster of unemployment—and why resilience and hope matter.

Whether you’re currently seeking employment, supporting someone who is, or working in HR/recruiting, this conversation offers *practical insights and emotional truths* about navigating career disruption in 2025.

S1 E4 Trust- The Connective Tissue of Healthcare Trust

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Episode 4 of The HumanUp Imperative, a podcast about re-centering human connection in a healthcare industry that too often sidelines it.
In this episode, host Rex Wallace speaks with Amber Maraccini, healthcare practice lead at Medallia and a passionate advocate for making healthcare more human. Drawing from professional expertise and personal experience, Amber shares how trust is the “connective tissue” of authentic human connection in healthcare, and why it is essential for both patients and organizations.
In this episode, we explore:
• What trust really means in healthcare and why it is foundational to safety, belonging, and self-actualization
• How trust operates on a spectrum and can be built or eroded through everyday interactions
• The measurable link between trust, loyalty, and better health outcomes
• The hidden ways trust is lost, including delays, unanswered questions, and missed opportunities for connection
• How to identify “silent signals” of eroding trust through unstructured data, contact center insights, and patient interactions
• The role of AI in improving efficiency and freeing humans to focus on high-impact connection points
• The connection between employee experience and customer experience, and why culture and empowerment drive trust at every level
• Practical steps health plans can take today to build trust, including leadership listening, closing feedback loops, and empowering frontline staff
Whether you are a healthcare leader, a provider, or someone interested in strengthening relationships in a high-stakes environment, this episode offers clear insights on how trust drives better engagement, stronger outcomes, and more human care.

S1E3 - Surprising Ways Exercise and Nutrition Help You HumanUp Faster

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Episode 3 of The HumanUp Imperative, a podcast about re-centering human connection in a healthcare industry that too often sidelines it.

In this episode, host Rex Wallace sits down with Sean Lancaster, a triathlete, Ironman competitor, and founder of Lancaster Advanced Nutrition. After spending decades in healthcare facility management, Sean made a dramatic midlife pivot, leaving a successful career to align his professional life with his personal passion for endurance training, fitness, and wellness.

🎧 In this episode, we explore:
Why physical fitness is often the entry point to mental, emotional, and even spiritual transformation
How strength training builds confidence while endurance training brings clarity and emotional resilience
The myth of work-life separation and why holistic wellness matters for high performance
How to integrate fitness and movement into busy professional lives (yes, even during back-to-back Zooms)
The underestimated link between fitness and leadership presence, energy, and connection with others
What it really takes to “just get started” when you're feeling stuck
Why nearly every Fortune 500 CEO prioritizes daily workouts and what that tells us about leading well

💡 Whether you're an executive navigating burnout, a healthcare leader looking to re-energize your team, or someone trying to reconnect with yourself, this episode is a powerful reminder that movement is medicine.

S1E2 Learning Conflict Resolution Tools From One Of The Best

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 18:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Episode 2 of The HumanUp Imperative, a podcast about re-centering human connection in a healthcare industry that too often sidelines it.

In this episode, host Rex Wallace sits down with Todd Deatherage, co-founder of the Telos Group, a nonprofit organization that builds communities of peacemakers and helps people navigate seemingly intractable conflict, across the globe and in their own communities.

Todd's work has taken him from Capitol Hill to conflict zones in the Middle East, South Africa, and the American South. But at the heart of it all is one simple belief: Reconciliation is possible and necessary.

🎧 In this episode, we explore:

Why conflict isn’t inherently bad and how to engage it constructively
What it means to listen to understand (not just to respond)
How to hold multiple truths in tension and seek a shared path forward
What healthcare can learn from peacemaking and global conflict resolution
How to center the voices of the marginalized while advocating with integrity
The six core principles and six daily practices of effective peacemaking
Why silence, self-reflection, and internal work are essential leadership tools

💡 Whether you work in Stars, quality improvement, provider engagement, or just want to build stronger, more empathetic teams, this episode will challenge and encourage you to lead with curiosity, courage, and compassion.

S1 E1 Learning Healthcare Leadership From One of The Best

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the very first episode of The HumanUp Imperative, a show about re-centering human connection in an industry that often forgets it—healthcare.

In this premiere episode, host Rex Wallace sits down with Todd Ray, a standout executive leader in government healthcare programs, to explore what it really means to lead with purpose, humility, and impact.

Todd oversees some of the most complex programs in healthcare, including Medicare Star Ratings. But what makes him exceptional isn’t just the outcomes—it’s how he shows up. He’s a leader who asks hard questions, empowers his team, and elevates others through trust, humor, and curiosity.

🎧 In this episode, we explore:

Why human engagement is the missing ingredient in organizational success

The fine line between confidence and arrogance—and how to stay on the right side of it

How to lead without micromanaging, especially in matrixed environments

The power of curiosity, asking questions, and building a culture of trust

Personal leadership philosophies like “Don’t panic” and “Make a difference”

How to stay calm under pressure—and help others do the same

💡 Whether you're an executive, a team leader, or just someone who believes we can bring more humanity to healthcare and business, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped.

https://youtu.be/ckFVTVdNw8E?si=A9T8-IBtjP67un2K