Coffee & Change

Landon Kissinger is a Manager at West Monroe and a member of the firm’s Customer Experience practice, where he focuses on High Performance Contact Centers, Salesforce CRM and Customer Experience Strategy.

With a technical background and an unmatched passion for people Landon continues to work on his pedigree with his uncommon blend of technology and business acumen. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Computer Science from Gonzaga University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, focusing in database management and data-structures. (GO ZAGS)

Landon also has a background in Ethical Philosophy and Psychology, Integration Technologies, and social media and marketing strategy.

Oh, and I am not done yet folks…Landon has 6 certifications that he has earned with passion and perseverance in a digital first world:

- He is a Certified Product Manager, earned from the Product School

- A Certified Scrum Master, earned from Scrum Alliance

- A Salesforce Administrator – that is not easy to earn and highly sought after in this market

- He has both an Amazon Connect and Amazon Technical Certification – also highly in demand

- And if that wasn’t enough, he is a certified Call Center Manager.

And somehow Landon has mastered the ability to bend time and space, because in addition to his full time job and family life, he is also a Master Set King, knowing all things possible about Pokemon, Pokemon Go, Dota 2, Clash Royale and more.

Yep, Landon is an active gamer and streamer with a large well-earned following on Tik Tok, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube, Disqord, Ebay and Instagram, where you can find him under the handle @jentilakgaming, always reminding his audiences to “Choose Happy.”

I bring you the gentle giant, my friend and proud mentee, Mr. Landon Kissinger. Enjoy the conversation.

Jon Becker has spent his life’s work making sure that those in uniform – all uniforms – are all secure. Spanning nearly four decades of service to law enforcement and military special operations units around the world, Jon’s commitment and expertise has influenced the innovation and application of tactical equipment for operators from around the world serving in top law enforcement and military units.

After founding Aardvark Tactical when just 17 years old, Jon has gone on to grow his company into one of the largest providers of tactical equipment in the world, while also becoming an attorney with a focus on civil rights and police litigation.

Jon attributes his success and remarkable journey to those who came before him, to those who invested in him, and to those who taught him the importance of compassion, care and commitment in developing his craft. His craft is saving lives. Each and every day. And that craft continues in the lost art of oral tradition, with his podcast called The Debrief.

On his show Jon and his guests help countless families, communities, protectors, leaders, and warriors with what seems to be a near mission impossible. Healing. True healing begins when we can tell our stories, and free ourselves, if only for a moment, from the unyielding grip of trauma and loss, Because we all have the right to heal.

I believe it is a powerfully shared purpose and passion for storytelling, heartbreak and healing that brought Jon into my ecosystem on July 12, 2022. What followed was a series of conversations, what is being born is a kinship for a common end state…that is healing through learning, sharing and meeting one another in our own uninhibited humanity.

Enjoy the conversation and tune in to the Debrief at TheDebrief.live to hear more harrowing stories from Jon and his guests.

On Episode 102, I am joined by Rudy Hunter who shares an incredible story in grief, loss, love and healing. Rudy is a unique healer, teacher and author who has worked with people and animals for 30 years to help them heal. Rudy's customers and clients have shared such sentiment as "If teddy bears could speak, they would sound like Rudy Hunter." Rudy's unique gift is meeting people where they are at in their pain and trauma journey and guiding them to a place of wholehearted joy and comfort. This was a fascinating conversation and one I hope you enjoy!

My guest on this episode is Andrew Bartlow, who brings 25 years of Human Resources and Talent Management experience to share in stories, wisdom and insights earned while supporting organizations of all sizes, stages and complexity. He is the co-author of “Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organizations. He also leads Series B Consulting which helps businesses articulate their people strategy and accelerate their growth while navigating change. Andrew founded the People Leader Accelerator, a preeminent development program for startup HR Leaders. I hope you enjoy this discussion with Andrew who invites you to to reach out to him via LinkedIn to connect and learn more. And if you do, feel free to mention you heard his story on Coffee and Change, and he will send you a full length workbook of one of his People Leader Accelerator guides for free. Enjoy the discussion and happy listening.

On episode 100, I took time to sit with the resounding questions and reflect on the answers that formulated from a place of deep listening, raw vulnerability and heartfelt appreciation after having hosted 99 conversations with changemakers and guests. During the Summer of 2022, I went back to relisten and reacquaint myself with all the stories in change this platform has echoed out to over 295,000 unique listeners across six continents. Enjoy the listen. Here's to the next 100.

On Episode 99, I welcome back a former guest who holds the accolade of being the most listened to and most shared episode of this podcast. You may remember Julio from Episode 74 where he shared with us the importance of working on a kinder, healthier world. A year has passed since we had Julio on the podcast, and it is an understatement to say a lot has changed this past year in the world. Julio shares his growth and we even chat about the latest renaissance of music from Beyonce and the role it plays in our narrative in change emerging around us. Happy listening!

*Reminder, I will be taking a summer break to reflect on all 99 episodes of this podcast and write the 100th episode. Look forward to reconnecting with you in the Fall of 2022.

On Episode 98, I seized the opportunity to meet with a friend for the first time near one of my favorite places on the planet. If you have visited the Presidio, Fort Mason and Chrissy Field in San Francisco, California, then you know the magnetism and majesty of that part of the world. Amidst the radiant reflection of the Golden Gate Bridge, once described as “possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world,” my friend and guest, David Watson helped me snap a few selfies and then found a spot to sit and record a conversation that was a few years in the making. I first heard David’s origin story in September of 2020 and afterward reached out to him to thank him for sharing it. I have had the pleasure of benefiting from David’s incredible work, his passion and his calling…giving voice to the unvoiced. And at a time when the rights and voices of so many are being silenced it is more important than ever that we voice the unvoiced and echo it to the boundless potential for healing. Enjoy the conversation.

Fabiana Claure is my guest on this episode. Fabiana lies at the intersection of some of my favorite topics…music, business and technology. As the founder of the Musicians Profit Umbrella, Fabiana works with musicians to develop strategies to build financial and artistic freedom with prosperity. As you will hear in her story, she is passionate about empowering fellow musicians to build the life they dream of…on their own terms. Conversations like this, capturing wisdom to share, is important in the times we are in. Artists, now more than ever seek to stand on their own authority and in their own power of creativity. I hope this conversations inspires you to take that next steps toward creating and owning your craft. Enjoy the listen.

You can find more about Fabiana at her website: https://fabianaclaure.com/

On this episode I interview Lindsey Caplan of The Gathering Effect. Gatherings are like gateways...they take us to another plan as humans. We express, inquire, engaged, grieve and celebrate best when gathered. Without our togetherness we may have never known the fullness of friendship or the fathoms of love fulfilled. By its very definition gathering is another kind of awakening, because suddenly one's scene changes, as as the Spanish poet, Antonio Machado says, "you are now in a different world." And as the Irish mystic John O'Donohue reminds us, "that sense of difference and otherness is always what makes us wonder." My guest on this episode helps organizations and leaders wonder about the gathering effect. Her expertise is in scripting experiences in gathering to help boost morale, engagement, and retention for the long term.

From her beginnings as a comedy writer in Hollywood on shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" to her days an Organizational Psychologist and Head of Talent for successful Silicon Valley companies, Lindsey's journey in change has brought her to a place where she can help others gather to make change stick. Enjoy the conversation and learn more at http://www.gatheringeffect.com

Liz Kislik is a management consultant and executive coach, and a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes. Her TEDx “Why There’s So Much Conflict at Work and What You Can Do to Fix It” has received more than a quarter of a million views. She specializes in developing high performing leaders and workforces, and for 30 years has helped family-run businesses, national nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies like American Express, Girl Scouts, Staples, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Highlights for Children solve their thorniest problems. You can learn more about Liz at: https://lizkislik.com/

Liz's free ebook: How to Resolve Interpersonal Conflicts in the Workplace: https://lizkislik.com/resolve-conflict/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizkislik/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizKislik