What if the key to innovation in your workplace isn't finding people who fit your culture, but transforming your culture to unlock brilliance that's been overlooked? Tara May, CEO of Aspiritech, has spent her career proving that when organizations create truly neuro-inclusive workplaces, everybody wins. In this conversation, Tara opens up about her personal journey, including raising an autistic son and her own OCD diagnosis in her 40s, and shares the practical frameworks any organization can use to go beyond diversity buzzwords and create real, measurable change.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why 80% of autistic adults face unemployment, and what employers are missing

The 'spiky cognitive profile' advantage and why neurodivergent talent can be 150% more productive

What the 'ROI of Kindness' really means for your bottom line

Three concrete steps to become a neuro-inclusive organization starting this week

The canary in the coal mine: how accommodations for neurodivergent employees benefit everyone

Why psychological safety isn't a soft skill — it's the engine of innovation

About Tara May:

Tara May is the CEO of Aspiritech, a tech services organization built on the belief that neurodivergent talent is a competitive advantage. With 25 years leading digital transformation at major media companies, Tara brings both executive credibility and lived experience to the movement for neuro-inclusive workplaces.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Intro — What if inclusion is the real innovation strategy?

[01:24] Tara's origin story: An autistic son, a C-suite career, and a new mission

[05:05] Neurodiversity belongs to all of us — the 86 billion neuron truth

[06:56] Tara's own OCD diagnosis: 'It's okay to have needs'

[10:03] Accommodations demystified: the water bottle story

[13:20] The spiky cognitive profile and the strengths employers overlook

[17:03] The index card meeting: introverted leadership in action

[20:44] Universal design and the canary in the coal mine

[25:27] 3 steps to becoming a neuro-inclusive organization

[30:00] Psychological safety as the engine of digital transformation

[35:11] How Aspiritech measures success — employees ARE the mission

[38:54] One action you can take this week: ask 'what do I need?'

[41:08] Where to find Tara and connect with Aspiritech

Find Tara May at: www.aspiritech.org | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tara-may

Subscribe, leave a review at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/, and share this episode. Visit our website for more resources. Mentioned in this episode: The Human Score — https://thehumanscore.org Find out how human-centric your organization really is with our 40-question survey and live dashboard. Get clear insights and practical steps to strengthen culture, trust, and performance. Host Lori Adams-Brown is one of the consultants in the Human Score Consultant Collective.

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You're highly capable. So why does your next move feel so unclear?

In this episode, executive coach and strategic advisor Karen Kunkel Young joins host Lori Adams-Brown to talk about what high-performing leaders consistently miss when they're standing at a crossroads — and what it actually takes to move forward with clarity, agency, and intention.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

About Karen Kunkel Young:

Timestamps:

Find Karen Kunkel-Young at:

Subscribe, leave a review at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/, and share this episode with a leader standing at a crossroads — even if they haven't named it yet.

Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources, tools, and episodes designed for globally-minded leaders.

Watch this episode on YouTube here.

Join us for an exclusive with Karen on Patreon here.

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What do you do when the doors you’ve worked for keep closing because of factors you can’t control? In this episode, Rebeca Lopez Valerio shares how she turned “no” into fuel, built opportunities from scratch, and learned to lead with coraje, heart-forward courage rooted in identity, resilience, and values.

Rebeca’s story is powerful and deeply human. Born in Mexico with Indigenous roots from the Oaxaca/Puebla region, she immigrated to the U.S. at age four and navigated life as a first-generation student, while also carrying the realities of being undocumented during key years of her education and career journey. Together, we talk about what it really takes to keep showing up when the stakes are high, and how community can be the difference between feeling stuck and finding your way forward.

In this episode, we cover:

Indigenous heritage, language loss, and the impact of “dialects being looked down on”

First-generation student survival: why community often beats 1:1 mentorship

How to lead with ambition without being defined by hardship

Rejection as strategy: building your brand through projects, businesses, and relationships

Sustainable fashion + AI: how Apparel Assist aims to reduce clothing waste by starting in our closets

Guest bio:
Rebeca Lopez Valerio is a hardware engineer, entrepreneur, and community builder. A first-generation immigrant with a background in electrical engineering, she co-founded Apparel Assist, a sustainable fashion startup exploring how AI can help people rewear what they already own and reduce clothing waste.

Timestamps (highlights):

00:01 – Meet Rebeca + the cultures that formed her

01:11 – Indigenous roots and the reality of language loss

05:44 – Immigrating at age four + education access

08:59 – Most overlooked resource for first-gen students: community

15:11 – “No” after “no”: how Rebeca built her personal brand

24:39 – Practical strategy: relationships, reps, and showing up anyway

29:56 – From cleaning business to Apparel Assist (AI + sustainability)

42:39 – Where to find Rebeca + Apparel Assist on Instagram

Bonus: 00:01 – Legacy: impact through everyday interactions

Follow Apparel Assist on Instagram, where Rebeca and her team are sharing the story behind their AI-powered sustainable fashion platform and inviting community conversation.

Call to action:
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who’s been shrinking to fit. Visit loriadamsbrown.com for more resources and to stay connected.

Join Lori for. an exclusive with Rebeca with our Difference Makers on Patreon.

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What if the very conversations you’re avoiding are the ones that could change everything? In this episode, we explore the hidden cost of silence, and how choosing “peace” over honesty can slowly erode trust, connection, and even joy.

Many of us were taught to keep the peace, smooth things over, or stay quiet especially when the stakes are high in families, partnerships, and leadership roles. But as today’s conversation reveals, avoiding hard conversations doesn’t actually protect relationships. It quietly damages them. This episode is for anyone who knows something needs to be said, but isn’t sure how, when, or whether it’s safe to say it at all.

I’m joined by Amy Brodsky. Amy is Founder and CEO of Sky Partners, a Performance Coaching, Facilitation and Advisory Firm. Amy has spent her career helping CEOs, Leadership Teams, UHNW Families and high-profile individuals navigate their most confidential and complex matters, including challenging team and family dynamics. Amy helps CEOs and Leadership Teams achieve the utmost success through exploring their current thoughts and patterns of behavior while supporting them as they create shifts to increase performance, professional relationships, awareness and peace. Amy has 30 years of experience in leadership, transformational change, negotiation and executive coaching across sectors. She has led client engagements ranging from large-scale mergers and acquisitions, organizational change, and cultural integrations. Amy holds a J.D. from New York Law School, Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University and B.A. from University of New Hampshire. Her past employers include J.P. Morgan, Union Bank of Switzerland, PIMCO and U.S. Trust. Amy has been a guest on CNN to discuss the topic of harassment in the workplace. She is a well-known speaker on the topic of Family Dynamics, Performance Coaching and Acquisitions.

This is not about being confrontational. It’s about being honest. It’s about understanding the difference between peace and avoidance, and learning how to reclaim your voice without burning bridges.

In this episode, we explore:

Why avoiding difficult conversations creates fear, dysfunction, and lost potential

The emotional dynamics that silently shape families, teams, and organizations

The difference between technical problems and adaptive (human) challenges

How self-awareness, intentional listening, and inquiry rebuild trust

Why psychological safety and dignity are foundational—not optional—for performance

About the Guest:
Amy Brodsky is a performance coach and advisor who helps CEOs, leadership teams, and families navigate high-stakes conversations, succession planning, and deeply rooted relational challenges. With a background spanning Wall Street, HR leadership, and organizational behavior, Amy brings rigor, compassion, and clarity to the conversations that matter most.

www.skyconsulting.org

www.linkedin.com/in/amybrodsky

Key Timestamps:

00:02 – Peace vs. avoidance: what silence really costs

08:14 – Emotional dynamics and why we’re never taught to communicate

16:36 – Trust, succession, and the real reasons families and companies fail

21:20 – Technical vs. adaptive challenges explained

35:28 – How assumptions derail relationships

39:10 – Final reflections: courage, fear, and choosing growth

Call to Action:
Subscribe to A World of Difference, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs permission to speak up. Visit loriadamsbrown.com to learn more and stay connected.

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What happens when faith communities quietly replace women’s leadership with unpaid, invisible labor? In this powerful Best of 2025 #1 top most downloaded episode of 2025 re-release, historian and bestselling author Dr. Beth Allison Barr joins Lori Adams-Brown to unpack how the role of the “pastor’s wife” became a substitute for women’s ordination—and the deep harm that followed.

Drawing from her book Becoming the Pastor’s Wife, Beth combines rigorous historical research with lived experience to show how a once-fluid vision of women’s leadership in Christianity narrowed dramatically in the late 20th century. What emerges is a sobering picture: women expected to perform the equivalent of multiple full-time jobs for free, while being told their obedience—not their gifts—is God’s highest calling.

Together, Lori and Beth explore how this shift didn’t happen gradually, but almost overnight, during the Southern Baptist Convention’s fundamentalist takeover. They discuss the psychological toll on women, the myth of “biblical womanhood,” and how patriarchy often survives by recruiting women to enforce it.

This conversation isn’t just about church history—it’s about power, unpaid labor, identity, and what happens when women are asked to disappear for the sake of “peace.”

In this episode, we cover:

How marriage replaced ordination as women’s path to ministry

The myth of the “ideal” pastor’s wife and its emotional toll

Why unpaid labor is framed as godliness—and why that’s harmful

How women are pitted against one another inside patriarchal systems

What it could look like for women to work together instead

Guest Bio:
Beth Allison Barr is a medieval historian, professor, and bestselling author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood. Her work bridges history, faith, and gender, helping readers recover the erased stories of women in Christianity.

Key Timestamps:

00:05 – The forgotten legacy of Willie Dawson

12:30 – Dorothy Patterson’s hats & the performance of submission

19:40 – The “patriarchal bargain” explained

24:15 – The emotional cost of being the ideal pastor’s wife

27:40 – A vision for working together, not competing

Call to Action:
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone navigating faith, leadership, or invisible labor. Visit our podcast website or loriadamsbrown.com for more resources.

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Some conversations stay with us because they name what we’ve been living but haven’t had words for yet. This episode is one of those moments, a reminder that gratitude does not require us to deny our pain, and authenticity does not demand perfection.

As we revisit this Thanksgiving message, one of the most downloaded and shared episodes of the year, Lori reflects on what it means to hold multiple truths at the same time. In a year marked by layoffs, uncertainty, grief, and global upheaval, this episode offers permission to be honest and grateful, resilient and tender.

This is not a call to toxic positivity. It’s an invitation to courageous leadership by showing up fully human, holding space for ourselves and others, and leading with compassion even when life is messy.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Why gratitude and grief are not opposites, and why leaders need both

How holding “two truths” builds psychological safety and trust

The difference between compassion and dismissal during times of loss

What authentic leadership looks like in seasons of uncertainty

Practical ways to support others facing layoffs, trauma, or transition

Guest Bio
Lori Adams-Brown is the host of A World of Difference and a globally minded leadership expert focused on difference, resilience, and authentic leadership. With decades of cross-cultural experience, Lori creates spaces where leaders learn to show up fully human while making meaningful impact.

Key Moments

00:00 – Why this message resonated so deeply with listeners

02:10 – Holding gratitude and grief at the same time

04:30 – Trauma, empathy, and the power of being witnessed

06:55 – How to truly support someone after a layoff

09:10 – Joy, purpose, and showing up in your strengths

If this episode resonates, subscribe to A World of Difference, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who might need to hear it. Your support helps the community grow and keeps these important conversations going.

If you are looking for your next opportunity, sign up for Lori’s Masterclass on Master the Career Pivot: https://www.loriadamsbrown.com/careerpivot Difference Makers who are podcast listeners get 10% off with the code: DIFFERENT

Learn more at loriadamsbrown.com.

Are you on Substack? Lori is too. Find her here: https://loriadamsbrown.substack.com

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Ever started a new job and realized the “real work” isn’t just the work. It’s learning the culture, the decision-making rhythm, and what success actually looks like? In this re-released best-of conversation, Dr. Shweta Miglani breaks down the small, practical moves that help you ramp faster, build credibility, and grow your career without burning out.

Dr. Miglani shares how her journey began in journalism, pivoted through learning science and instructional design, and expanded into global talent management and organizational development—supporting leaders across industries and countries. Together, we talk about what separates professionals who thrive quickly from those who stay stuck: proactive communication, stakeholder mapping, clear expectations, and learning how to lead with both strategy and humanity.

You’ll hear actionable guidance for your first 90 days, how to make your one-on-ones count, and why emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence matter even more as AI transforms the workplace. If you’re stepping into a new role, navigating a career pivot, or leading across cultures, this one will give you a playbook you can actually use.

Main topics we cover:

The #1 mistake people make in a new job—and how to avoid it

How to prepare for one-on-ones so you’re seen as a true partner

Stakeholder mapping: the career accelerator most people skip

Upskilling/reskilling + AI: what leaders must unlearn to adapt

EQ + CQ: why “being more human” is the competitive advantage

Dr. Shweta Miglani is a global talent and organizational development leader with deep experience across major companies, helping modern organizations build leadership, culture, and capability. She holds a doctorate in leadership development and organizational enablement and is the author of Navigate Your Career: Strategies for Success in New Roles or Promotions by Wiley press.

Timestamps (approximate):

00:00 — BetterHelp + why support matters

01:30 — Why this best-of episode is back

04:30 — Shweta’s career pivot and the mentor question that changed everything

13:30 — The biggest early-career mistakes in a new role

20:00 — What high performers do differently (prep, proactivity, follow-through)

30:30 — Talent development trends: skilling + AI

40:30 — EQ/CQ and leading “more human” in an AI world

52:00 — The one leadership move: lead with your values + clear expectations

58:30 — “Difference Maker” community: planning, stakeholder map, managing up

Subscribe, leave a review, Subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone starting a new role or navigating a pivot. Your support helps the community grow and keeps these important conversations going.

Connect with us:

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What if the talent your organization is searching for is already inside your walls? In this Best of episode, Lori revisits one of the most impactful conversations of the year with talent strategy expert Dr. Edie Goldberg, and it’s just as relevant now as when it first aired.

Dr. Goldberg shares why traditional job structures are holding organizations back, how skills-based talent strategies unlock massive ROI, and what leaders can do right now to reduce burnout while increasing engagement and agility.

Why internal talent marketplaces are transforming how work gets done

How skills-based approaches future-proof organizations amid constant change

What “job crafting” really means—and how it helps prevent burnout

How AI can reduce work (not increase it) when used thoughtfully

Why widening pathways to talent is both a moral and business imperative

Dr. Goldberg is the founder of E. L. Goldberg & Associates, a nationally recognized expert in HR strategy, and the author of The Inside Gig. She previously served as Global Leader for Learning and Development at Towers Perrin and recently chaired the board of the SHRM Foundation, where she helps mobilize HR as a force for positive social change.

You’ll also hear concrete examples from organizations like Cisco Systems and HERE Technologies, showing how internal mobility saved millions, boosted engagement, and created more resilient teams.

05:40 – What industrial-organizational psychology teaches us about work

14:20 – The birth of internal talent marketplaces

21:10 – How skills-based strategy saves millions

28:30 – Burnout, job crafting, and deconstructing work

36:45 – Widening access to opportunity through HR

🎧 Listen now and discover why developing talent from within isn’t just smart—it’s essential.

👉 Subscribe, leave a review, and explore more at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com

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As 2025 comes to a close, this episode is a love letter to difference makers everywhere—those navigating change, courage, career pivots, and complex workplaces. Lori Adams-Brown reflects on the books that shaped her thinking this year and deeply resonated with listeners across the globe.

From leadership in the age of AI to psychological safety, toxic workplaces, courage, presence, and recovery after trauma, these books don’t just inform—they invite you to live and lead differently. Many of the authors joined the podcast this year; others quietly transformed Lori’s thinking behind the scenes. Together, they form a powerful reading list for anyone committed to doing good work without losing themselves in the process.

This episode is also a reminder: your voice matters. Whether you’re job searching, leading a team, serving your community, or recovering from burnout, these books offer language, courage, and perspective for the road ahead.

In this episode, we explore:

How leadership is evolving in the age of AI—and why authenticity matters more than ever

What psychologically safe workplaces actually require (beyond values on a wall)

Courage, agency, and presence in times of uncertainty

Navigating toxic workplaces without sacrificing your dignity

Why being “nice” can keep us stuck—and what real change requires

Featured authors and books include:

AI for the Authentic Leader

Any Dumbass Can Do It

Courage Over Fear

Navigating a Toxic Workplace for Dummies

The Price of Nice

Perceptive

The Psychological Safety Playbook

Unforgettable Presence

Navigating Your Career

All the Cool Girls Get Fired

Becoming the Pastor’s Wife

The Well-Trained Wife and I Belong to Me

Key Moments:

00:01 – Why books matter to difference makers

00:03 – Leadership, AI, and early voices at the table

00:06 – Courage, agency, and toxic workplaces

00:10 – Psychological safety and inclusive leadership

00:14 – Career pivots, presence, and visibility

00:18 – Religious trauma, recovery, and hope

00:19 – A message of encouragement for those navigating uncertainty

✨ Call to Action:
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow difference maker.
Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources and episodes.

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Are you feeling the weight of leadership decisions that seem to pull you away from your core values? You're not alone in wrestling with what it means to lead authentically when the world around us feels increasingly divided and transactional.

What happens when kindness becomes your greatest strength, not your weakness? In a year marked by global upheaval, AI transformation, and workplace challenges that have disproportionately affected women, the question of authentic leadership has never been more critical.

This reflection episode comes at a time when many executives are facing impossible choices between convenience and character. From ICE raids affecting Venezuelan asylum seekers to the McKinsey study showing gender parity gaps widening, from AI bias in compensation algorithms to the cultural wars targeting women in the workplace. The stakes for values-driven leadership have never been higher.

I share personal reflections on navigating leadership challenges this year, including difficult decisions about walking away when values alignment disappeared. Drawing from childhood Christmas traditions in Venezuela to recent experiences in Denmark's hygge culture, this episode explores what it means to choose integrity over convenience.

The episode also touches on global perspectives that shape authentic leadership, from celebrating Maria Corina Machado's Nobel Peace Prize to learning from Denmark's egalitarian happiness model. These experiences remind us that our differences aren't the problem. They're the path forward.

If you've ever questioned whether you can maintain your values while navigating complex organizational politics, or wondered how to lead with both strength and humanity, this reflection will help you clarify what matters most as you head into the new year.

What You'll Discover

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