“A.I.” 

Those are two letters that stir up a whole lotta conversation.

Ever since ChatGPT was unveiled, I’ve been one of those people who won’t shut up about generative AI. I’m enthralled with it. I’m terrified of it. I’m curious about it, and I enjoy playing with AI. I hate it and I think it could be the fall of mankind. 

If AI and I had a relationship status, it would be, It’s complicated.

Just imagine my joy when I got the opportunity to talk with the marvelous Rimma Boshernitsan, founder of Dialogue, an interdisciplinary strategic advisory group and think tank that helps leaders and companies find the shortest, clearest path to their most ambitious goals. Rimma recently convened a panel at SXSW called “AI Won’t Give You the Chills: The Future Runs on Intuition” that made me curious to talk with her.

We covered a lot of ground; I learned a ton and I think you will too.

The Gems✨

What is the value of human intuition in the face of AI? [7:33]

How might we elevate our thinking when it comes to AI? How might we elevate the way we ponder AI’s role in our communities and in society? [13:01]

What role does self-awareness play in honing intuition and making informed decisions? [20:46]

What practices can we adopt to develop our intuition and enhance our decision-making skills? [24:34]

Resources Mentioned ✨

• Check out Rimma and panelists in conversation: AI Won’t Give You The Chills

Follow Dialogue on LinkedIn, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter)  and Youtube, or check out their website!

Rimma can be found on Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter)!

Hello, my friends! 

It’s been a minute!

I’ve been in deeeeep work mode on client projects, necessitating a petite pause on the podcast over the past several weeks. But I’m back in the saddle, and this week’s episode is a special one, as I am rolling solo.

I recently had a conversation with someone whose words continue to echo in my mind. She said,

“I am sick and tired of not using my voice.”

This is someone who is wise, brilliant, and accomplished. And yet … she put words to a common frustration we just don’t talk about enough.

We talk a lot about “finding” your voice, but we don’t often talk about how to use that voice once you’ve found it. This episode is practical, powerful, and lovingly crafted for anyone who struggles to speak up when the time calls for it.

THE GEMS

How to set yourself up for real change … and move towards lasting transformation [3:08]

How to get clear about what, specifically, triggers you into silence … and why this clarity matters. [7:29]

How to deal with (and outfox) your fear of having alllll those faces staring back at you. [15:18]

How to stop cringing at the sound of your own voice. [22:15]

There’s OH so much more, but those were especially juicy.

This will be the first of a multi-episode series … there’s a LOT to say. ;)

As always, shine on my friend. We need your light!

My friends … you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this week’s episode with the legendary wardrobe alchemist, Ms. Lisa Raja.🎙️**

Why would I be talking about clothing on this podcast? 

Because I’m tired of the way caring about clothing and fashion is still dismissed as being “vain” or “superficial.” 

As a communication coach, I help visionary leaders become spellbinding communicators. And, as you may already know, part of that work focuses on language and messaging, but part of that work focuses on  energy, and confidence, and authenticity.

And guess what’s a big part of the confidence game? FEELING GOOD IN OUR OWN SKIN. 

It’s for exactly this reason that I'll often connect a client with a talented stylist. Because how we feel about ourselves is reflected in how comfortable we are in our second skin.

Lisa Raja shares her powerful way of working with her clients—by creating an algorithm for their wardrobes.

We discuss:

• A weekly ritual for setting yourself up with easy, beautiful looks all week long (thereby avoiding the “why do I have NOTHING to wear??” feeling).

But best of all, we get PRACTICAL and TACTICAL about the styles and looks we’re loving right now.

And because I know y’all love clothing links (the stats don’t lie! LOL), here are all of the items we discussed …

• Slip dresses are back, y’all. Here are a few options … pair ‘em with a blazer, a chunky sweater, or even layer them over a turtleneck or t-shirt:
  • L’Agence Serita Dress in Black

To get inspired to revamp your wardrobe, find Lisa at www.lisaraja.com.

Shine on, my friend.

B

**Dedicated to my beloved Lisa Wamboldt, who we lost on February 4th of this year. Lisa “Shortcake” Wamboldt has been a blessing in my life since 1998, and I could never in a million years have imagined that her life would only continue until 2024. Lisa was hilarious, brilliant, kind, and real. Our lives are so much darker without her in them. Lisa, wherever you are, please keep sending your pixie dust to those of us still stuck down here without you. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting her family here.

Hold on tight because this week’s conversation is about to shift into high gear! (I mean, these puns practically write themselves, but trust me, the excitement is real!)

I recently had the opportunity for an exhilarating sit-down with Julia Landauer, a trailblazing two-time champion race car driver, motivational powerhouse, and force to be reckoned with on NASCAR's strategy and innovation team. (And her podcast, If I’m Honest, is fantastic).

Our girl Julia doesn’t just break barriers; she shatters them. 

In this conversation, you will hear her winning strategies for self-advocacy in the male-dominated realm of racing, along with her top tactics for conquering fear. Julia takes us behind the scenes of professional racing, Survivor survival tales, and her work as a professional public speaker, motivating audiences around the world.

We also talked about …

• The unfiltered reality of Julia's journey as a young female racer, and how she navigated biases and stereotypes in the racing world. (Trust me, the lessons here are pure gold!)

Get ready to be blown away by this conversation.

Looking to inject some adrenaline into your next event? Julia Landauer is your go-to keynote dynamo: Julia's Speaking Page. 

Eager to witness her TEDxStanford Talk? Hit play here: Julia's TEDx Talk

Find her on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She's a force you won't want to miss.

Are you able to fully “own” your expertise?

Or does it feel like bragging?

On this week’s episode I sit down with the sensational Elisa Camahort Page, co-founder of Optionality, which is a community for experienced and talented professionals who believe the world of work needs to be reimagined in general, and who want to re-define work and the workplace for themselves specifically, in community with others.

We covered a LOT of ground … how women can outmaneuver the systems and stereotypes that block our success, but we also talked about the nature of work—what it is right now, what it could be, and how we might imagine a different future together.

A bit about Elisa … Elisa Camahort Page was the Founding COO of BlogHer, Inc. BlogHer scaled from grassroots movement to national women’s media brand. Since leaving the company that acquired BlogHer, Elisa has served in full-time and fractional CxO roles, advising and consulting for organizations across the Media, Tech, Social Impact, and Learning & Development verticals. 

Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Mashable, San Jose Mercury News, and FoxNews.com. She is now the host of The Op-Ed Page with Elisa Camahort Page podcast and the curator behind the This Week-ish newsletter.

Enjoy this high voltage conversation, my friend.

WELCOME to January, my friends.

I’ve never been a fan of dropping a big rah rah New Year’s resolution episode at the very start of January.

But I do believe now is the time to reflect and plan. 

As Gloria Stenham so beautifully said from behind her rad tinted aviator glasses, ““Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.”

I bring you Bonnie Wan, who JUST dropped what is going to be a GAME changing book called: The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living. 

Just a bit of background on Bonnie:

BONNIE WAN is an author and speaker, as well as partner and head of brand strategy at the world-renowned advertising agency, Goodby Silverstein & Partners. 

As creator of The Life Brief, Bonnie helps people live with greater clarity, creativity, and courage by teaching them how to write creative briefs for their lives. The Life Brief has evolved from an SHORT FORM BIOGRAPHY agency talk into a workbook, workshops, and speaking appearances at Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, Jane Goodall’s Activating Hope Summit, the 3% Conference, SXSW, Accenture, Apple, Google, Change.org, and more.

Take a deep breath, and let this beautiful conversation take you to the higher altitudes where you can see your life clearly, and hold it dearly. Enjoy, my friend.

I bring you this week a completely different type of guest than I normally have on my show. 

If you’re a regular reader of my newsletters, you’ll recognize the name of said guest, because I gushed about her memoir about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail - Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart in a recent Monday morning missive.

As luck would have it, she actually agreed to let me interview her. 

My friends, get ready to meet Carrot Quinn.

Here’s the short version of her bio:

Carrot Quinn is a long-distance hiker and writer. She splits her time between Alaska and the open spaces of the western United States. She is the author of the book Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart: An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail and The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails of the American West.

But the deeper story? Carrot was raised in Alaska on welfare by a schizophrenic single mother who thought that she was the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary. At fourteen Carrot was adopted by her conservative catholic grandparents, and went to highschool in a small Colorado town near the Utah border. She spent years writing and nomading all over the U.S. before hiking the Pacific Crest Trail - all 2,650 miles of it twice.

Her writing is fresh and immediate, and I enjoyed every second of this conversation.

Welcome to December! And let me tell you, I come bearing gifts …

This fantastic conversation with one of the most influential Venture Capitalists in the Valley, Mr. David Hornik is going to help you become a better storyteller, a better pitcher of ideas, and best of all? It might even help you become a better human being. He’s *that* good.

David is a founding partner at Lobby Capital. For the last 25 years he has worked closely with technology entrepreneurs to help them build transformative businesses. Prior to founding Lobby Capital, David was a partner at August Capital for 20 years. David invests in a broad range of software companies, including enterprise application, infrastructure, and SaaS businesses (e.g, Splunk, Fastly, GitLab), financial technology companies (e.g., Bill.com, WePay, PayNearMe), and consumer services (e.g., Evite, Ebates, TopHatter).

In this conversation we cover:

• The biggest mistakes start-ups make during pitches.

Buckle up, my friends. Because a conversation with David is always my favorite journey to take.

“Curious” is a word that is almost overused these days. But what if it’s literally the secret to EVERYTHING we are all working for? Happiness. Fulfillment. Connection. The brilliant Scott Shigeoka is here to help us turn curiosity into a high functioning habit.

Scott is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and the author of 'SEEK, How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World.' He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at the UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, and through his ground-breaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Scott implements his curiosity practices in the public sector, Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood, media organizations, education institutions, and small businesses. 

Don't miss this one!

Order Seek Here!

Without a doubt, we are the *most* media saturated humans in the history of the world. But what happens to media coverage and storytelling when kids are behind the camera lens? Storytelling with a depth and honesty you won’t see anywhere else.

My guest today is the incomparable Holly Carter, founder of the Executive Director of BYkids and BYkids pairs talented young storytellers with seasoned filmmakers to create powerful documentaries about their lives. BYkids kicks off its fourth season on PBS on November 11, and will be narrated by Ashley Judd.

Holly began her career as a writer and editor at The New York Times, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Since then, she’s lived in Korea as a Henry Luce scholar and print and television journalist, produced the award-winning documentary, Margaret Sanger, co-founded North Carolina's full frame festival, served as a consultant for the After-School Corporation, produced the PBS series Media Matters, and most recently was the executive director of The Film Initiative. 

Holly and I talk about what it means to let young people tell their own stories, whether it’s a teen refugee from Ukraine, a climate activist, or a 14 year old journalist covering organic farming practices in her community in India.

This conversation gave me so much hope, so much joy. The kids are more than alright. They’re dazzling.

Check out the trailer for BYkids Season Four here.