The Agent of Your Own Life episode contrasts the long-reaching negative impacts of perennial victimhood mentality,  with the never-ending positive impact of being an individual who is 'the agent of their own life.'  As agentic, this individual recognizes that they can take actions and make decisions today that will make their tomorrow better. This contrasts with the perennial victim who always believes someone else's decision controls their access to success.

Someone who is the agent of their own life is a person who makes the choices that takes them where they want to go, overcoming disappointments, unfortunate hardships, and failure, by seeing each as an opportunity to learn. They never come back from a bad experience without having learned something important they apply today or another day in the future. 

A person who is the agent of their own life retains their power and control over their attitude and future, and is empowered and emboldened to see themselves as unstoppable with their goals because of their grit.  Contrast this with the perennial victim who is stuck, bitter, and angry, believing that the decisions made by others has complete control over their life. This person has surrendered control of their life and future to someone else. 

 All of this has immense impact on modern workplaces, families, and society. As a leader, can you help lead someone from victimhood mindset to being an agent of their own life? Dr. Chapman says yes, and explains how in this episode. How can each of us self-assess, accurately, to determine if we are effective agents of our own lives? Dr. Chapman also walks through practical strategies for this in the episode. This thirty minute episode answers many other questions related to this topic, as well. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:
 
>Bio of Ken Chapman, Ph.D.
>Follow Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. on LINKEDIN
>Follow Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. on FACEBOOK
>Safety Beyond The Numbers (book and seminar)
>Podcast interview with Tony Orlowski about Safety Beyond The Numbers
>Wall Street Journal Jonathan Haidt Article (referenced in episode)

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

How are current high school students being prepared for the US workforce at a time when employers are desperate for qualified workers? What are the students' pathways and options? Are schools getting the input from local industry about what those companies need most in foundational skills as well as developed skillsets? Do schools want involvement from local employers?

This episode takes an in-depth look at current high school education and workforce preparation with someone on the front lines. Grayson Lawrence is principal of Winterboro High School in rural Talladega County, Alabama. Grayson explains what College and Career Readiness means on a practical, measurable level and what it looks like for the students, educators, and future employers.

Winterboro High has been a recipient of of the "National School Change Award", presented to six or fewer schools nationwide annually as a joint program of the National Principals Leadership Institute and The School Superintendents Association. It recognizes schools that have significantly improved, such as Winterboro, which has raised graduation rates from around 60% to close to 100%, among numerous other gains. And, 100% of Winterboro graduates leave school with a personalized career plan mapping out what steps to take to achieve their personal goals. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:
> Winterboro High School website
>Grayson Lawrence on Twitter
>Winterboro High on Twitter

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

At the same time as historic unemployment, there has never been a greater number of well-qualified disabled people who want to work. These prospective employees are sitting on the sidelines. John D. Kemp, CEO of the Lakeshore Foundation and author of a new book entitled “Disability Friendly, How to Move from Clueless to Inclusive” talks practical strategy in this episode.

How can an employer find, hire, and retain qualified workers who happen to be disabled?  What do disabled employee prospects want? Who is considered disabled? Why do some employers avoid disabled prospects altogether? What accommodations are required? John even tackles the often undiscussed question, 'what if you have to fire a disabled person for lack of meeting performance requirements'? What are the strengths that disabled people bring with them to a new workplace? Where does an employer, particularly a small to mid-sized company, even start with becoming a workplace that welcomes disabled applicants?

>John's Bio
>Connect with John on LinkedIn
>Lakeshore Foundation
>Links to purchase John's book:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

What does it take to last 100 years? Nancy Meadows, CEO of BridgeWays, shares her insights on how and why her organization has lasted almost a century. She discusses necessary organizational pivots of mission, programs, branding, and more that BridgeWays has made over the decades. So, how do you know what or which pivots to make (or not make)? What's the appropriate timeline for successful pivots? Should the process be fast or slow? What types of data and analysis is useful when it comes to decisions about large and small changes? How do you select the right people to surround yourself with in order to accomplish successful pivots?   

Nancy also discusses their organizational role in bridging "where youth are" and "where they can be" as it relates to life and career preparation. She explains BridgeWays focus on Social and Emotional Learning, including interpersonal skills building, goal setting skills, exposure to healthy teamwork, conflict resolution skills, and other skillsets sometimes illogically termed 'soft skills' that, in reality, are often deemed as "critical skills" by employers.

This episode also includes discussions about “Hindsight Bias,” alternately called “Knew-It-All-Along Phenomenon,” as it relates to the perception that successful pivots in the past were much more obvious than they actually were in real time.

RESOURCES:

>BridgeWays website
>Nancy Meadows' Bio
>BridgeWays Facebook Page
>Pauline Fletcher's Story
>Camp Fletcher


 

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

How does absenteeism and presentism impact a company's effectiveness and sustainability? Does my company need a wellness program? What are the goals of company wellness programs? How do corporate wellness programs work? How do you create a workplace wellness program? What are the organizational leaders' responsibility to workforce wellness programs when it comes to program success? What are the bottom line costs of a workforce with unhealthy habits? What are the wellness and nutrition impacts on US worker's massive chronic disease rates? What has elevated the workplace wellness movement in recent years?

Wellness expert, Registered Dietitian, retired state public health leader, and Samford University School of Public Health adjunct faculty member Mim Gaines is this episode's guest. She answers all of these questions and more. 

---
 RESOURCES:

Connect with Mim Gaines on LinkedIn

Article: "The Business Benefits of a Healthy Workforce" (Harvard University)

Good Choices Programs

Healthy Vending, Alabama

Scale Back Alabama

Wellness Council of America

WELCOA Getting Started Checklist

CDC: Workplace Wellness Programs

Community Foodbank of Central Alabama

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Tony Orlowski provides an overview of the new book on workplace safety, Safety Beyond The Numbers, co-authored by he and Dr. Ken Chapman. The two of them wrote the book based on their 80+ years of leading change in workplaces in the US, Canada, and in locations across the globe. What can be achieved beyond basic workplace safety compliance and why does it matter?

What is the responsibility of a front-line worker, front-line supervisor, safety manager, department manager, or executive to other people's safety? What can be done to maximize the outcome of everyone in the workplace going home safe and whole to their family and friends each day? What is compliance? What is beyond compliance? What is the moral factor? What does safety ownership mean and how does it work?
---
 RESOURCES:

>SafePath Solutions (Book & Seminar info)

>Anthony Orlowski's Bio

>Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Shannon Allen walks through how mentorship works, sharing her experiences of both having mentors and serving as a mentor herself.  What makes successful mentorships mutually beneficial to both participants? Who should seek out mentorships? What are the expectations of mentors and mentees? Should both participants be from the same industry? Should you choose a mentor much older than you? What should the mentor have in common with the mentee to maximize success? How long should mentorships last? What's the difference between mentors and role models? What are common misconceptions about mentoring? What causes mentorships to fail? How can you approach someone if you want to ask if they'll serve as your mentor? If you think you can add value to someone's career growth or life, what's the best way to approach them and offer mentorship? 

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Keith Richards explores the importance of a strong company culture and purpose in building a strong restaurant and franchise business with unusually high team member retention. He and his wife Amy founded fresh-casual restaurant Taziki's in 1998, which now has 90 locations in 15 US states. More recently, they have started a second restaurant business, Greek Street. Keith served as President from May 1998 until December 2012, and then served as the Chief Franchise Officer from June 2012 till 2017. Keith has returned to manage the flagship market in Birmingham, AL, and continues to lead their culinary R+D and the HOPE project, Taziki's signature charity. Before creating Taziki’s, Keith Richards worked under the direction of Frank Stitt at Highlands Bar and Grill- which won the elusive 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for the most outstanding restaurant in America. Today, Keith and Amy and their two sets of twins live in Birmingham, AL, where Keith serves on the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Board and advances the cause of employing special needs students in metro Birmingham and across the country.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Taziki's website
• Greek Street website
• Taziki's HOPE Project
• Keith's bio
• Connect with Keith on LinkedIn
• Taziki's Franchising

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

Tommie Goggans III, husband, father of eight, president of The Goggans Group, Financial Advisor, active community volunteer, and dedicated physical fitness devotee, delves into the ever-challenging topic of "Balance & Planning in Leadership and Life." On a day-to-day basis, Tommie helps his clients with planning. With a large family of his own, his own company, and multiple leadership roles in the community, he actively practices balance in his own life. So, what are the strategies and pathways to success in finding balance, keeping balance, and effectively planning out our days, weeks, months, years, and decades ahead? 

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Connect with Tommie Goggans on LinkedIn 
• Read Tommie Goggans's Bio
• Visit the Goggans Group website
• Tommie's In-Episode Book Recommendations:
  • Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, by Michael Moss
  • 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, by Kevin Kruse

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.

In this episode of Brain Chatter, Derek reads The Speed of Trust, a chapter from the book The Leader's Code (2023 version) authored by Dr. Ken Chapman. The chapter defines the Speed of Trust,  identifies why it is critical to high functioning teams and organizations, provides examples, and outlines strategies for developing and growing The Speed of Trust in an organization. 

Brain Chatter, a podcast where we listen past the daily noise and explore topics at the intersection of leadership, workplace culture, profit, and sustainability.