Coffee & Change

Today's story comes from Robert "Bo" Brabo. Bo is a retired Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Army, a leadership-driven speaker and author and podcast host. During his time in the service, Bo was the Chief of HR Operations with the White House Communications Agency and Presidential Communications Officer for President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. In sharing his story Bo provides lessons in leadership, grit, resilience and ingenuity. Enjoy the conversation. And make sure to tune in to The Bo & Luke Show Podcast to follow the great work these guys are doing with some amazing guests.

Today's story comes from Jaylene Wallick. Jaylene is a holistic potential catalyst and change management consultant who passionately helps people reach their truest potential while amplifying the chemical reactions of life. Jaylene is on an incredible journey personally and professionally. She coaches and helps leaders and teams move through the world based on their values, strengths, and what gives each of us energy.

Jaylene is also a practitioner of mindfulness and meditation and helps lead diversity and inclusion and belonging initiatives at her firm.

Sit back and brew up a cup of your favorite warm beverage as you take in the learnings and lessons from Jaylene, a future leader of change management.

There are a number of great resources Jaylene shared in this discussion.

Books mentioned:

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson

A Year of Miracles by Marianne Williamson

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Lost Connections by Johann Hari

Stay tuned for more insights shared post show.

Today’s story features Leyandra Pagan, a Human Capital Strategist and Candidate for Master of Science in Learning & Organizational Change at Northwestern University. Leyandra, like many students around the world, faced a new level of professional change in the summer of 2020. She never anticipated her internship experience in consulting to be fully remote, but as the pandemic raged on that became a new reality.

Leyandra joined the podcast to share her story, insights and passion for leading change while completing two internships in a fully remote world. Together we discuss her valuable insights and lessons learned on what it is like to fully onboard with a new company and only ever get to meet your teammates through a screen. As leaders, we should all listen closely, as there is a lot we can learn from the next generation of leaders like Leyandra. Enjoy the discussion.

On Episode 53, we hear the story of Brett Putter, the CEO of CultureGene.ai and author of two books, Own Your Culture & Culture Decks Decoded. In this discussion, Brett and I talk about the tidal change that has come to how we work and collaborate in a hybrid and remote first world and the importance of values and human centered design when thinking about corporate culture. This is a fascinating discussion and a must listen for leaders navigating the tides of change in today's digital world. Enjoy the discussion.

Opening and closing music composed by Jason Latham of Harmony Toanz Studios.

Today’s story features Kathleen Breault and Lorie Brew.

Both parents and educators, Kathleen and Lorie share their moving stories and valuable insights they personally have gained while navigating and leading change in the education and healthcare systems for families across the State of Pennsylvania.

When the world came to a sudden stop in March of 2020 due to COVID-19, both of these parents learned that their work and passion in advocacy and access became even more important in a remote world. Together, we talk about how parents and families are surviving in a pandemic and raising and educating their children at home, some who face intellectual and physical challenges. Let’s meet them both and learn together how we can support parents, educators, families and children in new ways.

Opening and closing music composed by Jason Latham of Harmony Toanz Studios.

On Episode 51, I met with Jesse Gould, the Founder and President of the Heroic Hearts Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is pioneering psychedelic therapies for military veterans.

After being deployed as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan three times, Jesse founded the Heroic Hearts Project in 2017 to spearhead the acceptance and use of ayahuasca therapy as a means of addressing the current mental health crisis among veterans.

Together we talk about the journey of mental health for veterans and the recent decriminalization efforts and policy changes around psychedelics in the U.S. and Canada.

Driven by a mission to help military veterans struggling with mental trauma, Jesse shares his heart and his own inspiring battle with PTSD and his recovery through ayahuasca therapy.

For more information on the great work that Jesse and his team are doing to save lives and heal hearts, visit heroicheartsproject.org

Enjoy the discussion.

2021 is proving to be a year that will continue to teach us about the power of change. Listen to a preview of what is planned this year for the podcast as we welcome new beginnings and new changes. Happy New Year!

Shawna Rasmussen, our first guest on this podcast back in January 2017, returns for Episode 50, to reflect on four plus years of change. She also flips the script on me to ask me a few questions about the podcast, nearly five years into this journey as a creator. Enjoy the discussion.

On Episode 49, I speak to Kirk Miller, VP of Global Clients at Ariel Group. Kirk shares his experience and wisdom and speaks about an article he posted on LinkedIn after experiencing a furlough. That article is full of great tips and recommendations for anyone impacted by the challenging economy and job market in times such as these. Enjoy the discussion!

On Episode 48, I interview Errol Doebler. With over 20 combined years as a Navy SEAL and FBI Special Agent Errol believes that if leadership is not done correctly one of three consequences will be realized, all of which are unacceptable: mission failure, injury, or death. Errol also believes that the leadership exhibited during times of chaos and struggle should not be vastly different than the leadership exhibited during times of relative calm and accord. As Errol points out in our discussion and in his book, there is no, “Break glass in case of emergency” leadership playbook. The same leadership that is applied during chaos on the battlefield is the same leadership that should be applied in business and at home. From his experience and wisdom, Errol developed a leadership process that can be applied to all aspects of our lives in times of both chaos and harmony.

Errol is also a trained Wim Hof method leader, blending the power of breathing, cold exposure and mindset to achieve focus and sustained health. As you will here in this discussion, Errol soaks in an ice bath at least once every day. So, of course I had to title this episode Iced Coffee with Errol. Enjoy the listen.