Chief Change Officer

Part Two.

Money Philosopher Michael Sakraida, author of Money, Balance and Joy: Improving Your Life Story, dives into the chaos of balancing wealth and happiness in today’s noisy ever-changing world.

Spoiler: it’s not just about stacking cash.

Michael unveils his three-part happiness equation—monetary wealth, time wealth, and social wealth—and why you need all three in harmony to live your best life.

He doesn’t hold back, taking shots at Wall Street, risk tolerance tests, and the “Financial Media Smut Club” for ignoring the emotional reality of money management. From showing why financial independence is about more than just collecting paychecks to calling out those unregulated financial influencers, Michael mixes real talk with a sprinkle of humor.

If you’re tired of the same old money advice, this episode serves up a refreshingly honest, and a bit cheeky, perspective on finance.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Financial Independence: More Than Just a Paycheck—It’s About Legacy

“True financial independence isn’t about working for money; it’s about working for joy. And when you’re gone, it’s the legacy—both financial and non-financial—that really counts.”

When ‘Aggressive’ Turns ‘Anxious’: The Flawed World of Risk Tolerance Tests

“Advisors tick the ‘aggressive’ box, but when the market drops, those same clients can flip out. The problem? Risk tolerance tests don’t dig into the emotional reality behind investing. They aren’t built to handle the emotional rollercoaster of real-life investing.”

Financial Media Smut Club: Why Most Advice Misses the Mark

“Too many financial articles focus on clickbait rather than offering real, actionable insights. The problem? Writers often don’t understand what they’re talking about.”

The Problem with Financial Influencers: Why They Should Be Regulated or Shut Down

“If financial advisors need compliance approval for every email, why do these so-called financial influencers get a free pass to spread advice with zero oversight?”

Financial Advisors: If You’re Not Asking These Three Questions, You’re Doing It Wrong

“Before any numbers come into play, financial advisors should be addressing the emotions tied to wealth: how you got it, what you want to do with it, and your past experiences with Wall Street.”

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

Part One.

Money Philosopher Michael Sakraida, author of Money, Balance and Joy: Improving Your Life Story, dives into the chaos of balancing wealth and happiness in today’s noisy ever-changing world.

Spoiler: it’s not just about stacking cash.

Michael unveils his three-part happiness equation—monetary wealth, time wealth, and social wealth—and why you need all three in harmony to live your best life.

He doesn’t hold back, taking shots at Wall Street, risk tolerance tests, and the “Financial Media Smut Club” for ignoring the emotional reality of money management. From showing why financial independence is about more than just collecting paychecks to calling out those unregulated financial influencers, Michael mixes real talk with a sprinkle of humor.

If you’re tired of the same old money advice, this episode serves up a refreshingly honest, and a bit cheeky, perspective on finance.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Zen and the Art of Smart Change: Why You Shouldn’t Waste Emotional Energy

“Think of change like triage. Some things are worth saving; others, not so much. It’s about focusing your energy on the changes that actually count.”

The Happiness Equation: Why Money Alone Isn’t Enough

"Money buys happiness when it’s part of a three-part ecosystem—monetary wealth, time wealth, and social joy. Balance the three, and you’ve got the real happiness equation."

Feeling Alone in the Crowd: Why Money Isn’t the Only Problem

“Inflation, Wall Street, and the financial media don’t get it—people feel isolated and misunderstood. It’s not just about cash; it’s about finding control and direction when everything feels chaotic.”

Wall Street’s Blind Spot: The Emotional Toll of Inflation

“While Wall Street and politicians stay comfortable, most people struggle, feeling alone and powerless. The key isn’t just money; it’s reclaiming control in a system that’s stacked against you.”

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

In this episode, I sit down with Ian Myers, founder and CEO of Oceans, a talent agency connecting skilled professionals from Sri Lanka with US companies.

While Ian’s known for scaling his business from zero to $10 million in under two years, there’s much more to his story.

A Tintin fan like me, Ian’s career has been shaped by his adventurous spirit—moving from the US to Japan, exploring fields from literature to banking, venture capital to entrepreneurship, and gaming to talent recruitment. His secret? Trust your instincts, gather experiences, adjust when needed, and keep moving forward.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Why Tintin Beats Tech Titans: Ian’s Unconventional Role Model

“My role model is Tintin. He’s always up for an adventure, exploring new places, and embracing different cultures. That’s the kind of life I want to live.”

Zen and the Art of Leadership: How Buddhism Shaped My Approach to Chaos

“Buddhism has a lot of excellent teachings that are applicable to running a business… It’s at its core, a method of grounding yourself through honesty in your reality and the potential of everything around you.”

Comparison Anxiety: Why Scrolling LinkedIn Might Be Ruining Your Life

“I talk to young people today, and they’re always comparing themselves. They’ll say, ‘Oh, this person who went to my college is now a vice president. My life is ruined.’ I’ve never really worried about my career; I just follow what’s interesting.”

Experiencing Ageism Across Cultures: From Japan to CEO at 26

“In Japan, age almost becomes the most important thing about you—your track record and success play a much smaller role. That was something I couldn’t personally tolerate.”

Skeptical by Nature: Why Ian Questions AI Hype

“The technology is impressive and important, but like most great innovations, the adoption curve will likely be much longer than people expect. If you look back at tech predictions, the timeline for changing the world is almost always too short.”

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

John Gates is someone who can help you get the most out of your compensation package, especially when you’re making a career switch or transition.

When prepping for this interview, I skimmed through his book, ACT YOUR WAGE.  It reminded me of my business school days studying negotiation. The concepts really align—like focusing on multiple elements in a negotiation instead of just zeroing in on one number.

But here’s the challenge—Unlike business deals where you can stay strategic and detached, salary talks bring up fear, emotion, and anxiety.

So, with all the emotion tied up in these discussions, how do we break free from focusing on old numbers and truly maximize our return when making a career move?”

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Coast-to-Coast Hustle: The Ups and Downs of Chasing the Corporate Dream

“During that process of chasing the Fortune 500 career and climbing that ladder, I moved across the country many times. I was laid off several times. I know how terrifying it is to be laid off or separated from a company that once loved you, but now no longer needs you."

From Prosecutor to Defense Attorney: Why Switching Sides Matters

“I do view myself as a former prosecutor who became a defense attorney. I think the best defense attorneys are people who used to be prosecutors because they understand the tactics and strategy and what the other prosecutor is trying to achieve.”

The Silver Bullet Effect: Practical Steps for Negotiation Success

“I start teaching them how to have safe conversations about pay almost immediately. So, very experimentally, I will teach them and drill them and rehearse with them first.”

Salary Negotiation 101: Gladiators Need Not Apply!

“Know your worth and demand your worth. People say, figure out what you’re worth, insist upon that… When I hear that, what I see is high risk. It’s confrontational. It makes it seem like you’re going to be this gladiator… This sort of ultimatum strategy of ‘take it or leave it’ is problematic.”

6 Rules For Successful Salary Negotiation:

1.Do not put “open” or “negotiable” in the salary requirement field — Always put a number.

2.Reframe your salary number into a range during the phone screen — It’s important to shift into a range rather than sticking to a fixed number.

3.Shift the conversation from salary to total compensation — This includes understanding incentives and bonuses beyond the base salary.

4.Use AI tools like ChatGPT or LISA to prepare for interviews — This helps generate potential questions and practice responses.

5.Use interview time to sell yourself instead of satisfying curiosity — Focus on addressing their pain points and demonstrating your value.

6.Avoid moving the goalposts during negotiation — Present everything you want in one batch rather than one at a time to prevent putting your offer at risk.

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

Part Two.

This episode—and the last—are for the introverts, the ADHDers, those on the autism spectrum, trauma survivors, strategy-brained square pegs, frustrated change-makers, rebelutionaries (that’s rebels and revolutionaries combined), and thinker-doers.

Why? Because our guest today, Sara Lobkovich, is part of these groups. And she’s not holding back anymore. In fact, she’s spent months writing two books that bring together her life lessons and business strategy experience to help us all wake up our inner strategist and achieve big goals—no BS.

In the last episode, part 1, we looked into who Sara is, what she’s been through, and how her past has shaped her purpose today.

In this episode, part 2, we’ll dig into the book—her why, her audience, her objectives, and her vision.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

A Love Letter To Square Pegs Who Don't Fit In

"This book is a love letter to me earlier in my career. I know I'm not alone. I know there are so many other people who are having experiences like I did.

If I had written this earlier in my life, if I had somehow had the capacity to write this earlier in my life, I would have written a book to people who are strategically wired and feel like they don't fit in a world that's really focused on tactics to people who feel like square pegs in their careers, like we're always a square peg trying to fit into a round hole and just don't fit in."

Two Books, One Mission: Simplifying Strategy and Goal Setting

“I realized I had two books: one is the No BS OKRs workbook, and the other is about modernized, human-centered strategic planning.”

The Moment ‘You Are a Strategist’ Became the Book Title I Had to Write

“I knew the title had to be ‘You Are a Strategist.’ I rewrote the book to deliver on that title.”

Empowering Your Inner Strategist: No Matter What Job You Do

“You might be a dishwasher, noticing things in the restaurant—there’s strategy in everything we do.”

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

Part One.

This episode—and the next—are for the introverts, the ADHDers, those on the autism spectrum, trauma survivors, strategy-brained square pegs, frustrated change-makers, rebelutionaries (that’s rebels and revolutionaries combined), and thinker-doers.

Why? Because our guest today, Sara Lobkovich, is part of these groups. And she’s not holding back anymore. In fact, she’s spent months writing two books that bring together her life lessons and business strategy experience to help us all wake up our inner strategist and achieve big goals—no BS.

In this episode, part 1, we’ll dive into who Sara is, what she’s been through, and how her past has shaped her purpose today.

In the next episode, part 2, we’ll dig into the book—her why, her audience, her objectives, and her vision.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

The Milk Activist: Chocolate Milk Equality at Age Nine

“I successfully petitioned the cafeteria ladies for milk equality… so that the bag lunch kids could also have chocolate milk on Friday.”

Job Hopping or Scanning? Redefining a Nonlinear Career

“They called it job hopping, but my career coach reframed it as being a ‘scanner’ with lots of interests. Turns out, I wasn’t hopping, I was just too excited to make things better!”

The Burnout Chronicles: From Always-On-the-Go to Needing a Why

“I was that guy on the plane, always on the go. My dog lived with my parents for way too long. That lifestyle led me to burnout, and I realized I needed to do things differently.”

Curiosity as a Cure: How Staying Curious Helped Me Avoid Feeling Stuck

“Curiosity is an antidote to stuckness and anxiety. Later in my career, I developed the ability to always have a playground in my brain—something to learn.”

Turning a Job Disappointment into an MBA in Enterprise Politics

“Instead of feeling frustrated, I reframed my experience as a mini MBA in navigating large political organizations with resistance to change.”

Strategy Isn’t About Being the Smartest in the Room—It’s About Asking the Right Questions

“Being a strategist is not just being the smartest person in the room. It’s having a toolkit of questions that uncover facts, spark insight, and develop ideas.”

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

This isn’t just a corporate chat!

I’m joined by Jason Bloomfield, Global Head of Change and Experience Design at Ericsson. With 20+ years of experience across companies like M&G PLC, Prudential Financial, and MetLife, Jason’s been in the trenches of M&A integration, direct-to-consumer strategies, and organizational transformation.

Jason opens up about some real-life disruptions—like how his parents’ separation shaped his resilience and how he’s learned to turn big challenges into meaningful change. Whether you’re dealing with personal or professional transformation, Jason’s stories will hit home and keep you hooked.

Episode Breakdown:

0:36—It's All About Giving Back

4:02—From Upper Middle Class to Crash Course in Adulting: Why Unwanted Life Experiences Can Be Your Best Teachers

“I was in the middle of high school, where focus on study really needs to ramp up. Instead, I was learning home economics by necessity and dealing with my parents’ rapidly deteriorating relationship.”

14:04—Building Resilient Relationships: Navigating Anxiety and Fear During Mergers & Acquisitions

17:26—Being human: How is it possible to scale empathy to 100,000 people across 180 countries?

24:44—Navigating Company Pride: When Heritage Turns into Hurdles

“It’s quite a thing to come into a company that has 140, 150 years behind it. Pride can at times obscure a line of sight on the way forward.”

31:11—Asking the Right Questions: The Surprising Reasons Retirees Didn’t Want to Go Paperless

“We thought retirees were less digitally comfortable, but it turns out it was a trust issue—without something physical, they feared companies might alter their records behind the scenes.

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

Part Two.

Jennifer Selby Long, who has spent the last 30 years helping tech leaders navigate the waves of tech evolution, leading and managing organizational change. In recent years, her focus has been on cybersecurity, digital transformation, and user experience.

But don’t tune out just yet if you’re not in those fields—what Jennifer shares is relevant to anyone looking to thrive in today’s fast-changing world.

This episode (and the last one) is all about how to guide yourself through personal transformation and step into your next opportunity.

A leader can’t successfully drive organizational change without first mastering their own personal transformation. So, we’ll dive into why understanding the natural process of personal change can help you fast-track your transformation, how to manage self-doubt, avoid sabotaging your own progress, and how to make career moves that truly work in your favor—instead of simply running away from one undesirable situation to the next.

Episode Breakdown:

2:52—Taming Your Inner Saboteur: How to Outsmart Self-Doubt Like a Ninja

“When you start to feel yourself self sabotage, that’s not you. That’s the saboteur neural networks in your mind firing up.”

7:03—Carrie Bradshaw Says, “We All Judge”—But Are We Our Own Worst Critics?

“You can weaken that judge in so many different ways. One is to gently make a little fun like you would with a little kid. Ah, I see you. I caught you. I found you. Hide and seek.”

20:08—Freeze, Change, Unfreeze: A Throwback to Kurt Lewin’s Classic 3-Step Change Model

27:26—Career Jumps or Career Jumbles? How to Leap Toward Success Instead of Another Bad Boss

39:53—Office Politics Unplugged: Is It a Leadership Problem or Just People Being… People?

“Politics can exist for extremely unhealthy reasons in all seriousness, because you have a leader at the top, Who literally has a personality disorder. Another situation that is much more common is that politics exists because people have different needs.”

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

Part One.

Jennifer Selby Long, who has spent the last 30 years helping tech leaders navigate the waves of tech evolution, leading and managing organizational change. In recent years, her focus has been on cybersecurity, digital transformation, and user experience.

But don’t tune out just yet if you’re not in those fields—what Jennifer shares is relevant to anyone looking to thrive in today’s fast-changing world.

This episode (and the next) is all about how to guide yourself through personal transformation and step into your next opportunity.

A leader can’t successfully drive organizational change without first mastering their own personal transformation. So, we’ll dive into why understanding the natural process of personal change can help you fast-track your transformation, how to manage self-doubt, avoid sabotaging your own progress, and how to make career moves that truly work in your favor—instead of simply running away from one undesirable situation to the next.

Episode Breakdown:

2:54—When Opportunity Knocked, I Answered! The Accidental Rise of a Coaching Guru for Cybersecurity, Digital Transformation, and UX

11:27—Even Coaches Need a Coach: How Being Coached Turned Jennifer into a Top-Tier Guide

15:53—Change Is Inevitable, So Own It! The Secret Sauce to Becoming a Superstar

"You go through a period of transition, as if you're on a ship and you look back, suddenly you can no longer see the shore. But you're looking out ahead and all you can see is water. When my clients get impatient, their teams get a little uncomfortable with that impatience."

23:19—Battling the Inner Critic: Conquering Self-Doubt and Sabotage Like a Pro

"When you start to feel yourself self sabotage, that's not you. That's the saboteur neural networks in your mind firing up."

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives

Would you return to office 5 days a week?

Author of The Long Distance Leader, Wayne Turmel and I dive into a crucial topic: long-distance leadership in an era where communication technology is rapidly evolving for both workers and leaders. Yes, you read that right—long-distance leadership, not long-distance relationships. Just like with any relationship, maintaining, nurturing, and fixing long-distance leadership is far from straightforward.

This conversation couldn’t be more timely. When we recorded this episode, Amazon’s CEO had just announced their RTO (Return to Office) policy for 2025, and so far, the media narrative surrounding it hasn’t been exactly positive.

How can Wayne and his team provide solutions as remote and hybrid work models continue to change shape?

Episode Breakdown:

2:30—From performing on stage to helping leaders perform at work

4:54—Long-Distance Leadership: More Than Just a Long-Distance Relationship

8:06—From Pagers to Zoom: How Tech’s Evolution Transformed the Way We Lead and Manage Teams

13:51—New Challenges, New Solutions: What’s Different in the 2024 Edition Since the 2018 Release? (Book Link)

25:16—Amazon’s 2025 RTO Shuffle: How to Make the Office Comeback a Win for All

Connect with us:

Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously.

A Modernist Community for Growth Progressives