b CAUSE goes back to one-half of its authentic roots as Nicole Licata Grant talks with long-time friend and New Haven Mayoral Candidate Seth Poole.  Childhood friendships to "Ego-Death", "hard times to having "all that": venture outside the confines of Corporate America to discover guerrilla-style leadership in urban America. Join us for a powerful conversation, battling stigmas, divides and conflicts, the business potential of a pair of Jordan's, and what happens when you realize pedigree is not just a brand of dog food. This is a long one. Please join us to the end.  Ignore the yearbook page flipping, coffee pouring, and bird noises. You won't be disappointed.  And you can find and support Seth via  and "Poole for Mayor" on Facebook. DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though does contain some mild swearing that may be inappropriate for younger audiences. Links: Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b-you-shop Tweetable Comments: "To me, the word 'pedigree' meant the quality of your dogfood." "Imagine that, backing into sex education because of learning about AIDS. That basically sums up our childhood." "I did not know you had all that and I have known you for a long-ass time!" "Hard times are spreading. Just like the flu. Watch out, homeboy, don't let it catch you" - Run DMC, Hard Times." "You can pile all of your Catholic Churches on top of each other and you still will not be half as conservative as a black grandma." "What happens in the house stays in the house: children are to be seen not heard... if the children are being disrespected and they are not allowed to speak out, what kind of kids do you get?" "I can be your DJ and Justice of Peace." "I think that in the words of Ice Cube, there has to be some 'hard-core administrating'." "I've experienced what it is to be someone who grew up in a single-parent household and on assistant with TANF and WIC and all the rest of that stuff. I know what it's like to have a household full of roaches, and what it's like to have a mouse problem. I know what it's like to lose a job, what it's like to not know where your next meal is coming from. And I also know what it's like to sit on top of the Great Wall of China." "I grew up here. I am a concerned citizen. And this is my birthplace... and it shouldn't be something you aspire to get away from. It should be something you aspire to have ownership of." "For me, the way out has always been through." "I am throwing the rope down for a living." "We are going to ask for the grace of people who do not have any reason to be gracious." "We have to build our houses of worship that are focussed around the community. We worship each other's better successes." "I see New Haven as the tipping point for the planet." "None of this is about you. None of this is about me. This is about young people, this is about old people, this is about paying it forward and creating a culture of supporting the most vulnerable. If we do that everyone can also profit from each other." "All we have to do is get off the selfish, and that's a big part of leadership." "You are literally one pair of Jordans away from being a business owner." "I show up hardcore every day." "This shouldn't be a place where only two classes of people exist: you can either afford to insulate yourself, or you can't afford to leave." "We are going to improve this city with the people in it."

b CAUSE goes back to one-half of its authentic roots as Nicole Licata Grant talks with long-time friend and New Haven Mayoral Candidate Seth Poole. 

Childhood friendships to "Ego-Death", "hard times to having "all that": venture outside the confines of Corporate America to discover guerrilla-style leadership in urban America.

A powerful battling stigmas, divides and conflicts, the business potential of a pair of Jordan's, and what happens when you realize pedigree is not just a brand of dog food.

Battling jetlag and the duress of women's conferences during a late night recording session, Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant meet for another How Was Your Week episode. Erin rolls back from Ireland after one too many potatoes, while her husband battles driving manual on the wrong side of the road. Nicole discusses her recent coaching session, and that she is now working in partnership with RAINN - Rape Abuse and Incest National Networks - as part of the leadership council. Discover the behind-the-scenes of women's leadership conferences: a labor of love or just more labor for women? How to prepare for presentations and meetings, and as always, how to be truly authentic with one another.  DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Links: Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b-you-shop Tweetable Comments: "I'm pretty sure these car insurance packages have been drummed up to lure Americans over to Europe so they can crash and then pay out." "Words can reverberate, and it doesn't matter what your age is." "Disconnect. Take a real holiday. It's not just about you, it's about your boss, your coworkers, your employees." "How would you be if you took full responsibility for your own happiness?" "She said I was a unicorn, and I said I usually just think of myself as an old fat rhinoceros." "Every 92 seconds someone in America is the victim of sexual violence, and that is purely unacceptable." "I feel a lot of the diversity, the 'women's stuff' is just checking the box, making the board happy, and it doesn't have to be." "When passion meets inspiration, an obsession is born." "What holds us back? Lack of boundaries, guilt, shame, it's all about you, and you have to get ahold of this stuff and then let it go."

Battling jetlag and duress during a late night recording session, Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant meet for another How Was Your Week episode.

Erin rolls back from Ireland after one too many potatoes, while Nicole discusses her partnership with RAIN - Rape Abuse and Incest National Networks - as part of the leadership council.

Discover the behind-the-scenes of women's leadership conferences, how to prepare for presentations and meetings, and as always, how to be truly authentic with one another.

Take a step back with us this week as we learn of Erin Hatzikostas' roots, the things that shaped and nurtured her, and the influences that helped turn her on to the path she is on today. Listen in as Nicole Licata Grant interviews Pam Davis, a teacher and an educator, and Erin's Mom. We learn of the Midwest's orientation for family values, the beautiful scenery surrounding Erin's childhood, and the bold step she took to follow her corporate journey.  From cross-generational issues affecting women in the workplace and at home, to the mantra of a strong-willed and independent child, discover the history and family that laid the pathways to everything that is b Authentic. Disclaimer: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may not be suitable for younger audiences.  Links: Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   /b-you-shop Tweetable Comments: "She was always aggressive about doing her best in whatever she did." "We both encouraged her to follow her dreams, and I think it was worse for us after she left because we realized 'Oh, she might not come back'." "I was at the beginning of the generation of women going to the workplace, working at home with the family, and it's so beneficial to fulfill you in a way that is separate from the family home life." "Be a rebel mom - that was her mantra." So many different people are alive now, so many generations to capture - we hope someone can get something out of this." "With education you have to be able to give and take, to be a good listener and a good communicator, and to be authentic you have to concentrate on that." "Stereotypes seem to be the opposite of authenticity."

Take a step back with us this week as we learn of Erin Hatzikostas' roots, the things that shaped and nurtured her, and the influences that helped turn her on to the path she is on today.

Listen in as Nicole Licata Grant interviews Pam Davis, a teacher and an educator, and Erin's Mom. We learn of the Midwest's orientation for family values, the beautiful scenery surrounding Erin's childhood, and the bold step she took to follow her corporate journey.

Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant celebrate the release of the podcast! (episodes are recorded in advance). Erin and Nicole discuss the inauthentic 'badges' people give themselves at work, and the roles that play out with them at top levels. They talk about how to set these aside and instead do the simple things that will make you stand out and have people following you in droves.  As always, their career advice and inspiration comes sandwiched between other relevant topics like cheerleading and strategic weddings appetizer planning.  Links: Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b-you-shop  DISCLAIMER: This content is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.  Tweetable Comments:  "If you want to be a leader you have to completely differentiate yourself from the flock, and to do that you need to be completely in touch with yourself and everyone else." "People give themselves these badges, these roles, and they find some sort of hierarchy and authority through it." "If you want to be a great leader look around you at what everyone else is doing and do the exact opposite." "Sometimes you have to make a fool of yourself, you have to be the goofball." "Forget safety, live where you fear to live, destroy your reputation, be notorious." - Rumi "If you're looking to leave your mark in the world and pave a new path...if you don't have haters, you're doing something wrong." "If you have a one million dollar business and you want a one billion dollar business you need to destroy your one million dollar mindset." - Brooke Castillo "You can't operate the same way for new things, you need to keep growing and developing." "I can only fully commit to you, if you can fully commit to yourself." "Trust your creative process - even if you have a process that is less than perfect - if you get results." "Go out there and be bold and be different, and don't do what everyone else is doing."

Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant celebrate the release of the podcast! (episodes are recorded in advance). Erin and Nicole discuss the inauthentic 'badges' people give themselves at work, and the roles that play out with them at top levels. They talk about how to set these aside and instead do the simple things that will make you stand out and have people following you in droves.

This week we bring you another interview segment of the b CAUSE podcast with Erin Hatzikostas & Nicole Licata Grant. This week, Erin interviews Executive Recruiter and Partner at Oxeon Partners, Mia Jung. They Discuss her perspective on authenticity in the workplace and her advice and tactics on how to stand out in a sea of other talent.  DISCLAIMER: This content is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may not be suitable for younger audiences.  Links: Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-brilliant Tweetable Comments: "I put my oxygen mask on in the morning, go running, do my thing, and then I'm able to give myself whole heartedly to my work, to my team, and to my candidates for the rest of the day." "I think authenticity is being true to yourself. There are a lot of academic definitions, but it's about being true and doing a lot of self-exploration to find what drives you and what inspires you." "With candidates, I try to spot the fakes by asking my assistant 'how did they treat you over email?' If there's inconsistency it's a big red flag." As females I think we are not great networkers, we're working hard, we're in the right places, but we're not networking properly." "Finding the right job is like jean shopping: when you're out looking for jeans they're never the right size, but when you're out looking for anything else you'll find the perfect jeans." "My mom was a stay at home mom for of her life, and she always told my sister and I 'always work, always have your own money, always be independent."

This week we bring you another interview segment of the b CAUSE podcast with Erin Hatzikostas & Nicole Licata Grant. This week, Erin interviews Executive Recruiter and Partner at Oxeon Partners, Mia Jung. They Discuss her perspective on authenticity in the workplace and her advice and tactics on how to stand out in a sea of other talent.