Coffee & Change

Each year, around this time, I like to feature a story in an episode I refer to as the PRIDE Edition. It is in this annual episode I feature an inspirational story of one human’s endeavor to authenticity and journey to joy. As many of us know, that is often a lifelong journey and one that comes with inordinate amounts of heartbreak and hopefully, equal parts healing. My guest for this special episode is Brian Johnson. And my connection with Brian reminded me that life is a gift and living is a choice. It is in his story I reacquainted with my own story and the stories of so many more like us. And it is in the echoing of those stories we remember we are not alone. Many of you will be moved by Brian’s story and I hope you come away renewed with the power of community, storytelling and most importantly…healing. It is a timeless thing, healing. There is no start clock, no stop watch and certainly no past due date. And in some cases, as Brian and I learned together, there may be matching birth dates. Enjoy the listen.

Yes, you're the understudy to the Tortured Poet…you just didn’t know it.

I had nearly forgotten about the event of the season arriving in the overnight hours to our digital devices. And this morning, as I prepare for my first public poetry reading, I have to smile, because the universe always has a way of showing us “a way.”

I have been thinking about this solo podcast episode for a while now. Knowing I have wanted to tell the story of a Tortured Poet and the path of putting ink to paper, and paper to print, and print to publish. And now publish to public reading. While I didn’t plan it this way, I am happy that the word “poets” is being spoken into existence and resonance from arenas to amphitheaters today.

I can’t imagine a better walk on song for a new poet to have as he prepares for his first public reading.

Thanks for listening and supporting.

On this episode we meet multi award winning Sales Leader and All Around Luminary, Carson Heady. Carson is a bestselling author of five books in addition to being one of Microsoft's most influential Directors and #1 Social Sellers. He is a Global Sales Trainer, a podcast host and 🏆 award-winning mentor to many teams and talent. You will love this conversation between two former peers and self published authors...and fans of Queen's Greatest Hits.

Jim Fielding, a proud Ohio native and Indiana University Hoosier, started his career on the department store floor. Over the next 30 years, he would lead some of the world’s most beloved media and retail brands, including The Gap, Disney, Claire’s, Dreamworks, and 20th Century Fox.

Jim is known for his ability to combine storytelling and product merchandising into unforgettable consumer experiences. As culture builder and talent spotter, he has recruited and trained global leaders in a variety of disciplines and at all levels.

Today, Jim spends his time and talents on independent media, entrepreneurship, higher education, and philanthropy. He’s a Partner at Archer Gray, an independent media company inspiring change through storytelling and innovative brand collaborations. Jim has also been active in philanthropy for over 25 years and is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.​

Read more at allpridenoego.com

Honored to welcome back Becky Morrison for the third time to the podcast. This time we talk about something powerful, simple and profound...HUMAN DESIGN. You are going to love this conversation. Reach out to Becky if you would like to learn more at untanglehappiness.com

Prepare for a powerful conversation of healing and rediscovering your legacy with the one and only, the incredibly inspiring Qiana Sanders.

Qiana and I met in the newly minted hallways of a corporate office and in that first meeting we somehow knew we would be longtime friends and champions of change along the way.

Qiana's story is one rooted in the power of rediscovering your legacy. And we all deserve to rediscover our legacy...that is when the healing begins.

Happy listening!

Excited to welcome the first guest of 2024 with Brooke Hatala. Brooke is a rising star as a singer/songwriter in Nashville.

"The North Carolina native’s penchant for honest storytelling with a tinge of rocking energy makes Hatala a perfect fit for Nashville’s new era.” And while she is not the only one in in the town of Nashville, she is certainly one of the ones with

After attempting to connect and record in 2023, weather and technology got in the way. We we finally able to reconnect in early 2024 for this great conversation. Make sure to listen to Brooke's new single, "Not the Only One in This Town" out Jan 26th.

Follow Brooke on Instagram: brookehatala

Follow Brooke's music instruction and tutorial series on YouTube and listen to her music on all your favorite music platforms.

Be kind. This episode might be one of my first solo episodes that I recorded at length after much reflection going into 2024. And believe it or not, I was nervous every time I got in front of the mic. It is not perfect, but it is real. And it is me. It is probably indicative of the energy many of us went into 2024 with - slightly nervous and holding breath.

Happy 1.11 after a year that ended 123.123. It was 555am when I recorded this episode to kick off the 2024 Season of the Coffee & Change Podcast.

And in about a week, this podcast celebrates its 8th year of connection, content, curation and production. Happy Early Birthday Coffee & Change Podcast. It feels a bit strange saying that to be honest. And when I hear it in my head, I hear the trebled timeless words of Jimmy Stewart playing George Bailey running through the streets of a snow blanketed Bedford Falls. Something to the tune of “Merry Christmas you old Bailey Building and Loan.” I guess you could say I am grateful to be here.

As a podcast host, newly published author, and ever curator, I am leaving this takeaway for anyone listening: “Create your own distinct, compelling content.”

Thank you again for joining me on this journey. I’d love to hear from you on who you’d like to hear from on this podcast. Who inspires you. Whose story would you like to grow from?

You can always reach me via the Podcast’s LinkedIn page or on Instagram. Just search for Coffee and Change and the Instagram handle is coffee.and.change

I am looking forward to your recommendations and reviews as we celebrate another year of stories in change. Till next time. Be well.

On Episode 128, we reunite with Paul McCarthy, who has been on quite the journey as he authored and published The F.I.R.E.D. Leader, the leadership and disruption playbook for the next generation.

And on the heels of the most operatic firing of the world's most famous tech talent and leader - Sam Altman, Paul's book is proving to be a must read. In fact, I bet Sam could have used it last Friday.

Paul has been consistently asking for over five years, "Are we firing the type of talent we need with the types of leadership qualities we will need to navigate ongoing disruption?" We clearly are seeing the answers to that question played out at this tipping point.

The world has been asking that question loudly this past week with the events of OpenAI. We unpack the key events in our discussion while also welcoming Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to the emerging tribe of F.I.R.E.D. Leaders shaping the future.

You can listen to Paul's origin story on Episode 68 and you can now order his new book at this following link with a special discount for Coffee & Change Listeners:

https://practicalinspiration.com/book/the-fired-leader

Discount Code: FIREDLEAD30

When was the last time you set a boundary? You know the ones you set for your sanity, your solitude and your serenity? Well, what if I told you that no matter how hard you worked to integrate mindfulness and meditation into your life and workday, you could be missing the biggest offender to your peace of mind which we encounter daily. Yes, those digital notifications that pop up in pretty much every Microsoft product, each of our social networking apps and even the app you are using to listen to this. I apologize in advance as I may even be part of the offense if you got a notification of this episode being published today. But, the good news is my guest today is here to help us get back those boundaries. Ståle Hansen hails from Norway and is the Founder and CEO of Cloudway. I first heard Ståle speak on a Webinar on Digital Wellbeing at Microsoft this past year and was empowered to make some instant changes for my sanity. Ståle speaks to many companies and teams about the importance of using our Digital Tools in a way that makes wellbeing not only a possibility, but a reality. And the good news is it is finally being built into one of the most underrated modules right at our fingertips…Microsoft Viva. Ståle and I could have gone on for hours nerding out about all the tactics to take back control of our tech and we didn’t even touch on the ever growing popularity of Copilot and Generative AI Technology. That we saved for a future episode. Enjoy this conversation and make each day a day where you adjust those notifications for your peace of mind. Thanks for listening.