Change Leader Insights

In this episode of Change Leader Insights, Jessica Crow speaks with Kristoffer Carter, CEO and founder of Epic Leadership, a training organization for conscious leadership, which has created a daily meditation practice for thousands.

In addition to serving as CEO, Kristoffer is the author of "Permission to Glow— A Spiritual Guide to Epic Leadership", which guides his team’s coaching of Fortune 100 executive leaders at Amazon, AT&T, eXp Realty, Edward Jones, and many more. He is also a professional songwriter, TEDx speaker, and international retreat leader. Kristoffer lives in Akron, OH with his wife of 24 years and their three children.

Tune in as Jessica and Kristoffer deep dive insights from his book, which explores how people relate to change, what we can do to improve our response to it, and how we can help others do the same by granting ourselves one of the 4 Permissions™, which include Permission to Chill, Permission to Feel all the Feels, Permission to Glow in the Dark, and Permission to Glow in the Light.

Highlights from the conversation include:

• The impact of stress on leaders and teams, and solutions to lower stress levels
• The pitfalls of micromanagement and how to make more conscious leadership choices, and
• The seven most powerful words in leadership and business

If you would like to better understand your response to change in the workplace and how to improve your leadership style and approach, listen in, and be prepared to take notes – this episode is full of insights and ah-ha moments!

In this episode of Change Leader Insights, Jessica Crow speaks with John Saunders, the bestselling author of “The Optimizer: Building and Leading a Team of Serial Innovators”.

Previously, John spent over 20 years as a Wall Street SVP, sales team leader, and award-winning sales executive. Today, he is an executive coach, author, and podcast host, and is a regular guest on podcasts. He has spoken at international conferences and Universities including Georgetown (GU) & Columbia. He is a regular contributor to the GU Executive MBA mentorship program, is an active angel investor, and was a member of the GU MBA Alumni Advisory Council.

Tune in as Jessica and John discuss the power of storytelling and how stories build trust, develop buy-in, and accelerate organizational change.  

Capturing the hearts and minds of busy stakeholders is paramount during change and transformation. To cut through the noise, John explains that leaders need to follow a formula to create a cohesive story, but first they need to be clear on why they do what they do – their mission and vision.

To help clients find clarity, John will often ask, “Who would win from participating in this story, or using your product or service?” Once you get clarity on those things, says John, leaders can start to identify the stories that help people buy-in.  

Highlights from the conversation include:

If you would like to leverage storytelling to build trust, deepen relationships, and increase your level of influence in the workplace – do not miss this powerful episode!    

☑️ To find John online, go to: https://www.johncsaunders.com/
☑️ To follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcs-optimizer/
☑️To download the STICK formula worksheet: https://www.johncsaunders.com/storytelling 

In this episode of Change Leader Insights, Jessica Crow speaks with Jodi Brandstetter, the bestselling author of “Hire by Design” and “HR by Design”, HR and design thinking speaker, and brand positioning coach about the value of design thinking when preparing and planning for change.

About Jodi: Jodi Brandstetter is a seasoned brand positioning expert specializing in human design and design thinking, dedicated to empowering business consultants who want to define their business based on their uniqueness. With two decades of business experience and certifications in design thinking and human design, Jodi stands out by offering tailored strategies that help consultants authentically connect with their ideal customers.

Tune in as Jessica and Jodi discuss what design thinking is, why it’s helpful, and how change leaders can leverage the principles to develop human-centric change strategies and plans that empower people to power organizational change.

Highlights from the conversation include:

If you are curious about design thinking and want practical, actionable tips you can immediately implement with your team and organization, tune in and listen to what Jodi has to say!

In this episode of Change Leader Insights, Jessica Crow speaks with Douglas Scherer, keynote speaker, facilitator, and bestselling author of “F.O.R.G.E.D.: Six Practices of Great Leaders in Volatile Times”, about the impact of practicing mindfulness and compassion in change management, leadership, and for human thriving.

Douglas is dedicated to liberating individuals and organizations into thriving life and work. As a keynote speaker, facilitator, and author he believes in fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and collaboration. He integrates his background of mindfulness, reflective learning, and leadership into a holistic approach that addresses the needs of the whole person and organization. Dr. Scherer is also a professor at Columbia University, where he teaches masters degree courses on strategic thinking, leadership, and fostering innovation.

Tune in as Jessica and Douglas discuss several of the key principles outlined in his book, which illuminates Douglas’ passion for empowering individuals through conscious leadership.

Highlights from the conversation include:

How compassion creates unity, builds community, and fosters positive change
Embracing mindfulness practices to improve stakeholder engagement and readiness
What intuition is, and how to leverage it during high pressure situations
If you are ready to go on a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and transformation to unlock your team's full potential, do not miss this episode!

In the first episode of 2024, Apogy founder and Change Leader Insights podcast host Jessica Crow speaks with – wait for it - Jessica Crow! No, we haven’t entered the multiverse. This Jessica is the founder and CEO of CNTRD Wellness, a meditation and mindfulness training company for seekers and teachers across the globe.

Jessica is a mind-body expert with 20 plus years of experience helping individuals and organizations around the world nurture their wellbeing using meditation, stress-reduction, and mindfulness practices. Her company, CNTRD Wellness, believes that virtual wellbeing is essential to creating better health, inside and out. Jessica is also the author of ‘The Power of Guided Meditation’ (Fair Winds Press 2021) and the creator of the CNTRD Online Meditation Teacher Training.

Being an effective change leader starts with a strong foundation of self-leadership. Tune in and listen as Jessica and Jessica discuss the benefits of meditation and mindfulness on a personal and professional level. Highlights from the conversation include:

If you are ready for change and want to take your life and career to the next level, then you do not want to miss this episode!

In this episode, Apogy founder Jessica Crow speaks with Robert Snyder, founder, and president of Innovation Elegance. Robert’s thirty-year career spans roles such as developer, project management, change management, sales enablement, and the performing arts. He also is the author of two soon-to-be-published books, “Innovation Elegance: Transcending Agile with Ruthlessness and Grace (2023) and “Innovation Portfolio: Five Verbs to Shape Your Team’s Legacy” (2024).  

Robert and Jessica spend time discussing his upcoming book and Elegance methodology for innovation success, what’s “wrong” with Agile and Hybrid methodologies, and the “five verbs” project leaders can follow to improve outcomes and create an environment where people and innovation thrive. Robert also shares how his experience in the performing arts helped inform the recommendations and insights included in the book, from learning how to deal with rejection, the importance of preparation, and the value of deep listening.

If you’re ready for a novel approach to project, change, and innovation excellence, do not miss this episode!   

In this episode, Apogy founder and Change Leader Insights host Jessica Crow speaks with Tiffany Bray, Vice President of Health Systems at Path, a teletherapy company that was recently named one of 2023’s top startups on LinkedIn.

Tiffany is a results and mission-driven executive with over 20 years of experience in multiple healthcare sectors. Her work with payers, providers, and medical device manufacturers has led to innovative value-based care programs with win-win outcomes. Tiffany is known for her ability to translate complex business strategies to actionable deliverables, including strategy development, project leadership, process improvement, change management, and clinical care delivery innovation.

In this conversation, Jessica and Tiffany discuss the challenges and opportunities of enacting change in the healthcare space, and specifically mental health. Tiffany explains why mental health awareness and services are more important now than ever before, especially for children and teens, and how technology is making mental healthcare more accessible, affordable, and available to consumers.

As with any transformative change initiative, Tiffany shares the importance of understanding who your key stakeholders are, how they would react to the change, and why thoughtful planning is the key to avoiding pitfalls and overcoming barriers.

Be sure to tune into this month’s episode to learn what it’s like to be a change leader at an innovative healthcare company – you will be glad you did!

Insights host Jessica Crow speaks with Kimberly Eubanks, a certified change management professional and organizational effectiveness leader at VF Corporation.

As a leadership coach, thought partner, and experienced executive, Kimberly brings the full breadth of her more than 20 years of professional experience into every interaction. Keen on effectiveness and engaging people where they are, she leverages process and connection synchronously to result in a leadership style that resonates with leaders and contributors at every level.

During this thought-provoking and highly informative conversation, Kimberly shares what it’s like to lead change and transformation for a global organization. She explains the importance of being an agile leader; how to meet employees “where they are at” to inspire action; and gives several examples on how change leaders can create adaptive, measurable, and change-ready environments that fulfill both the business and employee needs.

If you’ve ever wondered how leaders at the most innovative and forward-thinking companies maintain organizational agility and achieve sustainable results, do not miss this episode!

In this special episode, Apogy founder and principal consultant Jessica Crow expands on her recent blog article, Finding Joy in the Process of Change.

Jessica started Apogy in 2019 with a vision to create a training and consulting firm that empowered people to grow in their careers and enabled organizations to improve strategy execution and the employee experience with change.

While the firm is thriving, Jessica discusses the need to make changes that will enable Apogy to stay competitive and offer value to clients. The challenge? Making these necessary changes won’t be easy, and that makes them easy to want to avoid. To overcome her resistance, Jessica explains how to find joy in the process, make progress, and experience positive change.

If you need to make a change at work or in your personal life but are avoiding taking the first step, be sure to listen in and hear what Jessica has to say!

In this episode, Apogy founder Jessica Crow speaks with April and Wil Jackson, both of whom participated in Apogy’s online Change Management Training and Certification Program, which included coaching with Jessica. 

April and Wil, who both retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than 20 years of service, have certifications in change management as well as project management. They are active members of the Project Management Institute’s Pikes Peak Regional Chapter, where April also serves on the board.

Currently, Wil is the director of contracts for Boecore, LLC, an aerospace and defense engineering company that specializes in software solutions, systems engineering, cybersecurity, enterprise networks, and mission operations. April is a program analyst for Dynetics, a Leidos Company, where she provides program management and logistical support to the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command’s 1st Space Brigade.

During this fun and impactful conversation, April and Wil discuss their motivation to get change management training and how the experience gave them not only a solid foundation in the practice, but also resulted in several powerful mindset shifts that led to positive changes at work and within their professional communities.

Other highlights from the conversation include:

If you are curious about change management training, want to be a better leader at work, or want to experience more on-the-job fulfillment - do not miss this episode!