Circle Up & Get REAL Podcast

After nearly two weeks away from the podcast, Jodee finds herself wondering: Who really cares if an episode arrives on schedule — and who is keeping score? That question opens a deeper reflection on commitments, promises, connection, resilience, and discipline. From a rainy Disrupt HR event in Fargo to wildfire-smoked mountains in Montana, Jodee considers what happens when reality does not match our expectations. She shares how a quick, meaningful conversation reminded her that our challenge may not be a lack of communication, but a lack of genuine connection. She also explores how small personal practices — 15 squats after every bathroom visit, wearing a meaningful pin, and riding her bike every day — have helped her experience discipline as self-trust rather than pressure. This is not a prescription or a challenge to copy someone else's habits. It is an invitation to ask: What are you willing to do over time, simply to see what happens? And how might your experience change when you choose from purpose rather than should, force, or fear?

What do you do when life creates an unexpected opening?

Most of us rush to fill empty space—with busyness, worry, or the next thing on our list.

But what if those openings aren't problems to solve? What if they're invitations to grow?

In this episode, I explore the difference between loss and capacity, why our identity matters during times of transition, and how creating space can help us recognize possibilities we might otherwise miss.

Whether you're changing jobs, retiring, launching a business, or simply entering a new chapter of life, this conversation invites you to pause before filling the space.

I'd love to hear your story in the comments: When has something that ended eventually made room for something better?

What if life isn't a problem to solve—but a journey to experience?

In this solo episode of Circle Up & Get REAL, Jodee reflects on an upcoming biking adventure through Montana and discovers that planning a road trip has a surprising way of illuminating life itself. Through stories about maps, GPS systems, bike trails, and mountain roads, she explores why we often expect life to be easier than it was ever meant to be.

The journey reminds us that hills, valleys, storms, detours, and unexpected companions aren't signs we've gone off course—they're part of the adventure.

Jodee shares why agency isn't about controlling every circumstance but about choosing how we respond to the conditions we encounter. She introduces the powerful distinction between an external GPS that helps us navigate and an internal compass—our values, intuition, instinct, and discernment—that helps us determine our True North.

Along the way, she explores:

• Why expectations often create unnecessary suffering
• What a GPS can teach us about self-compassion ("Recalculating...")
• The two questions every journey requires: Where am I? and Where do I want to go?
• Why mentors and trail guides can show us where they've been—but cannot walk our path for us
• The meaning of coddiwomple: traveling purposefully toward a destination that isn't yet completely clear
• How curiosity, courage, and discernment help us navigate uncertainty

Whether you're standing at a crossroads, questioning your direction, or simply trying to enjoy the scenery a little more, this episode offers an invitation to trust both the map and the compass—and to remember that becoming may matter even more than arriving.

Key Takeaway:

Life isn't about avoiding wrong turns. It's about learning to recalculate with curiosity instead of judgment and having the courage to continue the journey.

"It's never what happens to you. It's who you become in the process."

• What expectations am I carrying that may be making my journey harder than it needs to be?
• Where am I today—not where I wish I were?
• Where do I truly want to go?
• What does my inner compass tell me that no GPS can?
• If I took one courageous step without knowing the entire path, what might become possible?

What if saying no was actually one of the most important career skills you could develop?

In this episode of Circle Up & Get REAL, Jodee sits down with workplace strategist, facilitator, and author Heather Archer to explore why so many talented professionals become overwhelmed by saying yes to work that doesn't move them forward.

Drawing from her signature framework, The Promotion Equation, Heather explains how to distinguish between high-value work that advances your career and the "invisible" tasks that quietly consume your time and energy. Heather shares the personal story behind the framework, which began as coaching conversations with her daughter after she found herself buried in responsibilities simply because she struggled to decline requests.

Those real-life lessons eventually became a practical system that helps professionals pause, evaluate opportunities, and respond with confidence rather than obligation. Together, Jodee and Heather also explore the language we use in business, challenging the common phrase "I help people…" and examining how our words shape perceptions of value.

Their conversation moves beyond workplace productivity into authenticity, visibility, self-advocacy, and the importance of recognizing the difference between generosity and professional contribution. Whether you're an emerging leader, an experienced professional, or someone who simply finds it difficult to set boundaries, this episode offers practical tools for protecting your time, increasing your impact, and saying yes to the work that matters most.

In This Episode

• Why saying "yes" can quietly derail your career
• The difference between promotable and non-promotable work
• Heather's simple framework: Ask + Pause = Answer
• How to decline requests without damaging relationships
• Why visibility matters as much as hard work
• The surprising problem with saying "I help people…"
• Practical ways to advocate for yourself without feeling self-promotional
• How intentional boundaries create greater impact and fulfillment

Memorable Thought

"Every time you intentionally say no to work that doesn't align with your goals, you're creating space to say a wholehearted yes to what matters most."

Connect with Heather

Learn more about Heather Archer and The Promotion Equation through her company, Training Du Jour, and connect with her on LinkedIn to follow her work in leadership, facilitation, and workplace strategy.

Final Thought

Success isn't about doing everything. It's about having the courage and clarity to do the right things well. Heather reminds us that every thoughtful "no" creates room for a more meaningful "yes."

What happens when the identity you've been living no longer feels big enough to hold who you're becoming?

In this episode of Circle Up & Get REAL, Jodee welcomes keynote speaker, executive coach, and leadership expert Lisa Connors for a conversation about identity, growth, and the courage to step into new possibilities. Lisa shares the story behind her emerging framework, Name Yourself, which encourages people to stop waiting for permission and begin claiming the identities that have been quietly calling to them all along.

Together, they explore everything from leadership and creativity to painting, drumming, podcasting, and writing. Along the way, they reflect on the people who have named gifts in them before they could see them themselves, the difference between being motivated and inspired, and why our lives often expand not by replacing old identities but by adding new ones. If you've ever heard yourself ask, "Who am I to do that?" this conversation may offer a different question worth considering.

In This Episode

• Lisa introduces her new Name Yourself framework and explains how identity shapes the way we live and lead.
• Why new identities don't replace old ones. They stack.
• The difference between motivation that pushes and inspiration that pulls.
• Jodee shares her unexpected journey from first-time painter to identifying as an artist.
• Lisa tells the story of becoming a drummer simply because something inside her wouldn't let go of the idea.
• How community often sees our gifts before we do.
• The role of joy, curiosity, and experimentation in creating a meaningful life.
• The influence of difficult seasons, including loss, cancer, divorce, and career transitions, in shaping who we become.
• A conversation about The Fourth Turning is Here and finding hope during uncertain times.
• Why authentic conversations create more transformation than scripted interviews.

Memorable Thought

"Sometimes the greatest transformation doesn't happen when we become someone new. It happens when we finally give ourselves permission to become who we've been all along."

Connect with Lisa Connors

Lisa Connors is a keynote speaker, executive leadership coach, and creator of the Name Yourself framework, helping leaders and high achievers intentionally create the identities that support the lives and careers they want to build. Her work also includes Generative Leadership and Generative Power, helping individuals and organizations lead with greater confidence, resilience, and authenticity.

Learn more at lisaconners.com and connect with Lisa on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Connect with Jodee

Jodee Bock is a speaker, executive coach, author, artist, and host of Circle Up & Get REAL. Through conversations that are Radical, Energized, Authentic, and Learning-focused, she helps leaders develop themselves first so they can create cultures where people and organizations thrive. Learn more at jodeebock.com and subscribe to the Get REAL with Jodee YouTube channel for full video episodes and additional conversations.

If this conversation encouraged you to think differently about who you're becoming, we'd love for you to share it with someone who may need the same reminder.

Be sure to subscribe to Circle Up & Get REAL, leave a review, and join us next time as we continue gathering around the virtual fire to explore the conversations that help us live, lead, and learn more authentically.

What happens when you stop looking outside yourself for answers and begin trusting the wisdom already within you?

In this episode of Circle Up & Get REAL, Jodee reconnects with entrepreneur, coach, author, and manifestation guide Tonja Waring. The two first met through a networking organization in 2018 and have both experienced significant personal and professional evolution since then.

Tonja shares her journey from a difficult season of life just a few years ago to creating the Wise Mystic Lounge, a growing community focused on intuition, manifestation, energy alignment, and conscious creation.

Along the way, she reflects on her upbringing on a South Dakota cattle ranch, her experience helping grow MyPillow from a $500,000 company to a $50 million enterprise, and her newest adventure: restoring an 1890 Victorian home in Denison, Texas that will become The Velvet Cactus, a boutique stay and gathering space.

Together, Jodee and Tonja explore the relationship between truth and mystery, the role of vibration and energy in shaping our lives, and what it means to become our own guide rather than seeking answers from external authorities. They discuss manifestation, feng shui, NLP, forgiveness, inner child work, and the possibility that a relatively small percentage of people living authentically can influence collective consciousness in meaningful ways.

Whether you're curious about spirituality, personal development, intuition, or simply creating a life that feels more aligned, this conversation offers plenty to ponder.

In This Episode

• Tonja's personal transformation and the creation of the Wise Mystic Lounge
• Growing up on a South Dakota cattle ranch and lessons learned from rural life
• Behind-the-scenes stories from helping scale MyPillow during its rapid growth years
• The difference between truth and mystery
• Manifestation beyond wishful thinking
• Feng shui as a practical tool for creating supportive environments
• The four domains of manifestation: free will, divine guidance, vibration, and energy
• NLP, self-talk, and rewiring subconscious patterns
• Inner child work, forgiveness, and healing past experiences
• Divine feminine and masculine energies
• Building community and creating spaces for connection
• The vision behind The Velvet Cactus in Denison, Texas
• Why authenticity may be one of the most powerful forces for change

Memorable Thought

"Perhaps the goal isn't to know all the answers. Perhaps the invitation is to trust ourselves enough to stay curious about the mystery."

Connect with Tonja

Learn more about Tonja's work, the Wise Mystic Lounge, manifestation resources, coaching opportunities, and The Velvet Cactus project through her website and community offerings: https://www.tonja.com.

Connect with Jodee

For leadership development, coaching, speaking, and resources focused on helping people stay engaged, stay relevant, and stay conscious, connect with Jodee Bock and Get REAL Leadership: https://www.jodeebock.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover conversations that challenge assumptions, expand perspectives, and encourage authentic growth.

In this episode of Circle Up and Get REAL, Jodee sits down with photographer, filmmaker, and creative visionary Josh Madson to explore an extraordinary journey of reinvention, purpose, and human connection.

Josh shares how a broken-up band and a leap of faith led him from Minnesota to Los Angeles, where he built a successful career working alongside some of the biggest names in photography, including Annie Leibovitz and major commercial brands. Along the way, he learned that great photography is less about technical perfection and more about helping people feel comfortable, valued, and authentically themselves.

But success didn't follow a straight line. During the pandemic, Josh found himself back in Minnesota, living with his mother, questioning his future, and searching for meaning after losing both income and direction. Out of that difficult season emerged an unexpected idea: a community portrait project that would eventually grow into Community Collage, a large-scale public art movement celebrating the people who make communities unique.

Today, Community Collage has engaged thousands of people across multiple cities, including more than 1,200 participants in the Fargo-Moorhead area alone. Through free portrait sessions and massive public murals, Josh creates experiences that help people feel seen, appreciated, and connected to something larger than themselves.

Together, Jodee and Josh explore themes of manifestation, personal responsibility, authenticity, belonging, and the power of creative work to bring people together. The conversation is a reminder that sometimes our greatest contributions emerge not from our highest moments of success, but from the seasons that force us to rediscover who we are and what truly matters.

Josh will be one of the speakers at Fargo's TEDx in July.

Find more about Josh at his website: www.communitycollage.org.

Today's guest is Patrick Kirby, founder of Do Good Better Consulting, where he specializes in nonprofit fundraising coaching and consulting, among other entrepreneurial hats he wears.

In this episode Patrick and I talk about what it means to be an entrepreneur: embodying characteristics like self-trust, audacity, and a willingness to deviate from conventional paths.

We also talked about how "soft skills" like leadership, communication, and building connections are actually essential to business and life success.

Patrick talked about how he is relaunching Do Good University, an online community platform for nonprofits to allow them to learn and connect with others in their field.

Patrick shared the information and the process he went through when writing his two books, "Fundraise Awesomer," and "Fundraise Like a 5th Grader."

Find Patrick at www.dogoodbetterconsulting.com.