Biz & Banter in the Blue Room

Are you a stakeholder or a takeholder on your team?

Culture is an operational strategy, and Ashley Randall is here to show you why. Ashley is a human services consultant and the founder of Aspiring Redirection. She brings more than 20 years in human services and is finishing her master’s in industrial and organizational psychology, with a doctorate program next. She has seen what happens when decisions get made in boardroom silos, when the fixer becomes the expectation, and when leaders look the other way until a toxic culture is already set.

Steph and Ashley talk about who belongs in the room when decisions get made, why psychological safety works as risk management, and how a policy rolled out in ten minutes can cost a year of turnover. They break down why what you tolerate becomes the norm and how one person with clear boundaries can start systemic change from any seat. Ashley shares the four questions she asks in every one-on-one, her prioritization boundary, and what she does for fun (hint: tiny wooden libraries). Then Steph puts her through “Takeholder or Stakeholder? (Culture Edition),” a rapid-fire round with a few calls you may want to argue with.

This episode is for you if you have ever stayed quiet in the meeting and complained in the parking lot, or if you lead a team and wonder why engagement keeps slipping.

Until next time, build your culture on purpose and show up as a stakeholder in everything you touch.

Connect with Ashley: https://www.facebook.com/aspiringredirection/

🔍Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Human Services Consulting
02:56 The Importance of Human-Centered Decision Making
06:00 Bridging the Gap in Leadership
08:48 Understanding Stakeholders vs. Takeholders
11:45 The Impact of Leadership on Organizational Culture
15:01 Empowering Individuals in Non-Leadership Roles
19:11 Navigating Unwritten Rules in the Workplace
20:47 Effective Communication: What Do You Need From Me?
22:51 Creating Meaningful Conversations with Staff
24:40 Addressing Toxic Behavior in the Workplace
27:37 Setting Healthy Boundaries for Leadership
30:57 Finding Balance: Personal Well-being and Professional Life
32:32 Fun and Mindfulness: Hobbies That Recharge Us

Feeling stuck and can’t figure out why?

In this episode of Biz & Banter, I sit down with Kelli Post, keynote speaker, mindset coach, and founder of Piece by Peace. After a 25-year sales career, Kelli now teaches the conscious thinking principles that built her results and rebuilt her life. Her core message: your thoughts are instructions, and they shape your reality.

We talk about why positive thinking has to be paired with conscious action, how your energy shows up in every interaction, and how visualization can boost performance and even support healing.

Kelli shares how gratitude and self-talk can shift your mindset, why comparison holds you back, and how the friction you feel can be confirmation that you’re growing. We wrap with a rapid-fire round of “Instead Of,” full of simple swaps you can start tomorrow morning.

If you’ve been waiting to feel motivated before you take the next step, this episode is for you. Take the first step by changing the instructions.

Connect with Kelli: piecebypeacekellispeaks.com

🔎Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mindset Coaching
04:37 The Power of Thoughts and Instructions
10:09 Positive Thinking vs. Conscious Thinking
15:14 Energy and Its Impact on Interactions
20:00 Visualization and Mindset Shifts
24:17 Practical Strategies for Overcoming Stuckness
29:58 The Importance of Gratitude and Reflection

What does a lacrosse sideline have in common with a closing table?

Kacy Small is a real estate professional, a lacrosse coach, and the founder of Next Play Apparel. In this conversation he breaks down how his three worlds run on the same playbook: build a plan, stay intentional, and run through adversity when it shows up. Kacy shares how Next Play Apparel was born from one genuine conversation, how he listens for opportunity in everyday moments, and how he manages a schedule that holds this many roles. He also talks about why authentic social media content is the thread that ties his brands together, and what it takes to put yourself out there without worrying about public perception.

This episode is for you if you wear multiple hats, your calendar is full, and you want every role to move the others forward.

Go make your next play.

Connect with Kacy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kacy_small_realtor

🔎Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:50 Coaching and Real Estate Parallels
06:05 Intentionality in Coaching and Business
08:51 The Birth of Next Play Apparel
11:46 Integrating Lacrosse and Real Estate
15:05 Managing Multiple Responsibilities
17:55 Social Media Strategy and Authenticity
20:46 Navigating Brand Deals and Content Creation
24:06 Final Thoughts and Advice

What if the secret to better leadership has been buzzing around in a backyard hive the whole time?

In this episode, Latoya Johnson of Grow & Glow Philly breaks down the Hive Mentality, the framework built from working a beehive and working in leadership. She talks through what bees teach us about trust, roles, and getting a group to move as one, and how she's turned those lessons into tools for building teams and community.

If you've ever struggled to get a team to function without you micromanaging every move, this episode is for you.

Get ready to buzz into your next big move.

Reach out to Latoya here: https://www.growandglowphilly.com

Chapters
00:00 The Journey to Becoming a Speaker
02:30 Discovering Beekeeping
04:54 From Skincare to Beekeeping
07:33 The Beehive Mentality in Leadership
12:38 Nature's Lessons on Leadership
14:51 The Buzz of Bees and Mental Wellness
15:20 Growing Glow: Educating Through Nature
18:00 The Importance of Natural Ingredients
19:31 Understanding the Beehive Structure
22:54 The Role of the Queen Bee
25:46 Mindfulness and Teamwork in Beekeeping
26:18 Navigating Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Dynamics
29:00 The Hive Mentality in Leadership
31:56 Mindset and Prioritization Challenges
35:43 Self-Care and Balancing Responsibilities
38:53 Lessons from Bees on Leadership
46:56 The Importance of Mentorship and Continuous Learning

Do you know who's buying what you're selling?

Angie DeMilo has spent her career helping entrepreneurs answer that exact question, and on this episode she sits down with Steph to break down why so many business owners skip it entirely. Angie shares how she found her footing in marketing, why treating your strategy like an ongoing experiment beats waiting for a perfect plan, and how free tools like Canva and AI have made it possible to create real content without a real budget. Her take is simple: everything has a market, you just have to find yours.

This one is packed with high level marketing reminders and plenty of banter between two people who clearly enjoy talking shop.

This episode is for you if you have ever felt stuck talking to everyone and reaching no one. Angie's approach turns marketing into something playful instead of overwhelming, and her energy alone will get you thinking differently about your next post.

Happy Marketing!

Follow Angie at @demiloenterprises.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Connection
03:04 The Importance of Marketing Fundamentals
05:49 Understanding Your Target Audience
08:56 Overcoming Marketing Challenges
12:00 Utilizing Free Tools for Marketing
14:59 Evaluating Marketing Effectiveness
19:00 Understanding Quirky Marketing Strategies
21:57 The Importance of Personal Connection in Marketing
25:01 Exploring Diverse Marketing Approaches
28:08 Personal Branding and Authenticity in Marketing
32:00 The Role of AI in Personalization
35:56 Embracing Risk and Consistency in Marketing

Hear from Coldwell Banker Luxury Marketing Specialist, Callie Galilea, what her favorite features of the HOME platform are for CB Luxury Real Estate Agents.

More about HOME for CB agents: https://homeplatformworkshops.com

More about HOME for non-CB agents: https://join-cbr.com

How are you making people feel?

Keynote speaker and author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Lindsay Smith joins the Blue Room to talk about the art of creating experiences that matter. Her philosophy comes down to one idea: the moments people remember are the ones that make them feel valued, and those rarely cost much at all. Lindsay builds her business around human significance, the belief that everyone should leave an interaction feeling like they matter. We get into why the smallest, warmest gestures leave the biggest mark, how that plays out in business and in everyday life, and what it takes to lead with that kind of intention.

If you've ever wondered why the swag and the branding aren't building the loyalty you hoped for, this episode is for you.

Find more about Lindsay here: https://www.lindsaysmithexperiences.com/

Happy experiencing!

What is that thing that keeps you sane in your home life?

Well for me, it's not my husband, as apparent in this episode. This installment of JUST Banter with Sam has zero agenda and even less sense. We rank our Costco haul by price (Kool-Aid Jammers vs. Eagles hats, and it's not close), relive why I married him ("you make me belly laugh every single day," and also for the football game seats), and play a round of Would You Rather that somehow ends with a serious debate about how many cats is too many.

We revisit Niagara Falls from a not-great hotel room with a great view, argue over who actually picks the restaurant, and give poutine its proper due. No lessons here. Just banter.

Happy bantering.

How are you telling your story?

Brand strategist and copywriter Elisa Heisman joins the Blue Room to talk about what it really takes to connect with your audience. She breaks down why so many entrepreneurs talk about their services instead of speaking to the problems their clients are actually facing, and why that shift in perspective changes everything about how a message lands.

Elisa also walks through how messaging strategy shifts between small businesses and nonprofits, and shares what she uncovers with clients during her Story Start Calls.

If you've ever wondered why your marketing isn't landing the way you want it to, this episode is for you.

And yes, Elisa was correct with the name of the restaurant she discussed: https://trevibyob.com/

Happy Storytelling!

Find more about Elisa here: https://redpenresources.com/

What if mindset isn't something you're born with, but something you build?

Coldwell Banker Realty Branch Vice President, Chrissi Chapman, joins Steph for a real conversation about mindset, positivity, and what it takes to lead agents through the noise.

We're getting into the beliefs worth breaking, how to stay genuinely positive in hard rooms without faking it, and the mindset work agents skip when they think they just need more leads. Plus a rapid fire round on everything from vision boards to breathwork, and yes, the story of the ten dollar tattoo.

Happy leading.

Find more about Chrissi here: https://rubyslippersathome.com/profile/my-bio