Contagious Culture

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Tracy Solarek, emotional intelligence coach, keynote speaker, trainer, and founder of Optymum Potential.

Tracy explains how emotional intelligence helps leaders better understand themselves, strengthen relationships, build trust, and create environments where people feel valued and motivated. She breaks down the role of assessments, coaching, empathy, self-awareness, interpersonal skills, and feedback in developing healthier leaders and stronger organizations.

Kyle and Tracy also discuss the difference between coaching and therapy, why many leaders are unaware of how others perceive them, and how daily habits such as reflection, reading, journaling, and intentional pauses can improve the way leaders show up.

00:00 — Introduction and meeting Tracy Solarek

Tracy Solarek is an emotional intelligence coach, keynote speaker, trainer, and founder of Optymum Potential.

Through coaching, assessments, keynotes, and professional development workshops, Tracy helps leaders and organizations strengthen emotional intelligence, improve self-awareness, build confidence, and create more productive and people-centered cultures.

Her work focuses on empathy, interpersonal relationships, emotional expression, impulse control, leadership presence, and helping people understand how they are perceived by others. Tracy also guides organizations through emotional intelligence assessments and 360-degree feedback to identify strengths, blind spots, and opportunities for growth.

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Building relationships in the nonprofit world is often treated like a necessary evil, awkward networking events, forced conversations, and transactional asks. But what if it didn’t have to feel that way?

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle breaks down why nonprofit relationship building doesn’t have to suck and why the most successful leaders approach it completely differently.

Instead of chasing donations or trying to “work the room,” Kyle shares how authentic connection, shared purpose, and genuine curiosity create stronger partnerships and more sustainable impact. From community leaders and donors to volunteers and board members, the most powerful nonprofit relationships are built on trust, not transactions.

You’ll learn practical ways to shift your mindset around networking, create meaningful connections that last, and build a culture where people actually want to support the work you’re doing.

If you’re tired of forced networking and ready to build relationships that truly matter, this episode is for you.

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In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Erika Rothenberger, keynote speaker, construction industry leader, podcast host, and bestselling author of Audacious Expansion.

Erika shares how surviving a violent assault in 2022 became the catalyst for a new chapter of courage, advocacy, service, and personal expansion. Rather than allowing the experience to define her as a victim, she made the difficult decision to heal, use her voice, and turn her pain into purpose.

Kyle and Erika also discuss the quiet work behind bold accomplishments, the role community plays in recovery, confronting unresolved trauma, building confidence, and taking action before feeling completely ready.

Erika also introduces her BOLD Framework, a practical approach for believing in yourself, building consistency, leaning on others, and developing the people around you.

00:00 — Introduction and meeting Erika Rothenberger

Erika Rothenberger is a keynote speaker, construction industry leader, podcast host, and bestselling author of Audacious Expansion.

After surviving a violent assault in 2022, Erika transformed her recovery into a mission to help others turn adversity into courage, connection, and bold leadership. Her work focuses on resilience, confidence, meaningful relationships, mindset, personal development, and taking action even when the path feels uncertain.

Erika has spent more than two decades working in the construction industry and uses lessons from that experience to help people build stronger foundations in their lives and careers. She is also the creator of the BOLD Framework and the founder of the Audacious Woman Summit, which brings women together to grow, connect, and expand into their next level.

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What does it really take to become the kind of leader people choose to follow?

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King explores the difference between leadership that is assigned and leadership that is earned. Titles may give someone authority, but influence, trust, and credibility are what inspire people to truly follow.

Kyle breaks down the key behaviors that define impactful leaders, leaders who create clarity, build strong relationships, and cultivate cultures where people feel motivated to contribute their best work. He also challenges common leadership myths and explains why leadership is less about control and more about consistency, character, and connection.

If you want to grow your influence, strengthen your leadership presence, and build a culture where people feel inspired to move the mission forward, this episode will give you practical insights on how to become the leader others willingly follow.

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In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Dr. Caroline Brookfield, veterinarian, speaker, consultant, comedian, and self-described professional cat herder.

Caroline explains how creativity and mindfulness help leaders navigate ambiguity, respond to change, and make better decisions without becoming overwhelmed by uncertainty. She introduces the DANCE Framework, a practical approach that encourages daydreaming, curiosity, novelty, comfort with ambiguity, and delaying judgment during the creative process.

Kyle and Caroline also discuss why leaders often say they want creativity while unconsciously rejecting unfamiliar ideas, how psychological safety allows teams to contribute more fully, and why sometimes the best response to change is not to fight harder, but to pause, observe, and consider new possibilities.

00:00 — Introduction and meeting Dr. Caroline Brookfield

Dr. Caroline Brookfield is a veterinarian, professional speaker, consultant, comedian, and self-described professional cat herder.

Her work focuses on helping leaders and organizations build creativity, adaptability, and confidence during periods of uncertainty and change. Drawing from her experiences in veterinary medicine, emergency care, wildlife health, stand-up comedy, and organizational consulting, Caroline teaches people how to think differently, manage ambiguity, and create environments where new ideas can thrive.

She is also the creator of the DANCE Framework, which gives leaders and teams practical habits for strengthening creativity and navigating uncertainty.

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In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, we tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in professional growth: networking is not a competition. Too often, people approach networking like a race for attention, influence, or opportunity. But the most impactful relationships are built through curiosity, generosity, and genuine connection, not comparison.

Kyle King explores why many professionals struggle with networking, how the wrong mindset can create unnecessary pressure, and what it looks like to approach relationship-building in a more authentic and strategic way. You’ll learn how to shift from transactional interactions to meaningful conversations, build trust within your network, and create opportunities through collaboration rather than competition.

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable with networking events, unsure how to follow up with new connections, or like you’re “doing networking wrong,” this episode will help you rethink the entire approach and start building relationships that truly matter.

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In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, host Kyle King sits down with organizational psychologist, executive coach, and Harvard Business Review contributor Irina Cozma to explore the power of Possibility Thinking and how expanding our options can transform careers, leadership, and workplace culture. With more than 20 years of global consulting experience across startups and Fortune 100 companies, Irina has coached hundreds of professionals to move from feeling stuck to becoming more confident, decisive, and impactful leaders.

Together, Kyle and Irina discuss why so many professionals dread Monday mornings, how leaders unintentionally shrink or expand the possibilities for their teams, and why confidence isn’t about knowing everything, it’s about trusting your ability to figure things out.

Irina also shares insights from her upcoming book on Possibility Thinking, explains why workplaces should operate more like training environments rather than constant performance arenas, and offers practical strategies for leaders who want to create cultures where people grow, experiment, and thrive. If you're a leader, entrepreneur, educator, or professional who wants to expand your thinking and create more options for yourself and your team, this episode will give you powerful tools to rethink how growth and success actually happen.

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This episode dives into the power of leading with intention and moving with thoughtfulness in a world that rewards speed over substance. Real leadership is not just about making moves, it’s about making the right moves, with clarity, purpose, and alignment.

We explore how intentional leaders build stronger cultures, make better decisions, and create impact that lasts far beyond the moment.

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In this episode, we unpack how reactive leadership quietly destroys innovation, slows momentum, and keeps teams stuck in survival mode. If every challenge feels like a fire drill, creativity suffers, trust erodes, and real progress becomes harder to sustain.

This conversation explores why the best leaders don’t just respond quickly, they respond strategically, creating the space, stability, and vision innovation actually needs to thrive.

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In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King and Dan Fisher sit down with Amy Aussieker, executive director of Envision Charlotte and the leader behind Charlotte’s Innovation Barn.

Amy shares how her background in sales and fundraising helped her turn complex sustainability ideas into practical programs, partnerships, and community-based solutions. She explains the circular economy, why food waste should stay out of landfills, and how individuals can take tangible action rather than leaving environmental responsibility entirely to governments and corporations.

The conversation also explores cross-sector collaboration, earned revenue for nonprofits, local innovation, diverse teams, and Amy’s vision for making Charlotte a destination for sustainability entrepreneurs, pilots, and circular economy initiatives.

00:00 — Introduction and meeting Amy Aussieker

Amy Aussieker is the executive director of Envision Charlotte and a driving force behind the Innovation Barn, Charlotte’s living laboratory for sustainability, circular economy solutions, education, and cross-sector collaboration.

With a professional background in sales, fundraising, business development, and community partnerships, Amy has spent more than a decade helping transform ambitious environmental ideas into practical initiatives.

Her work includes advancing solutions related to food waste, glass recycling, plastics, textiles, organics, aquaponics, education, and sustainable economic development. She also connects businesses, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, government leaders, and community members to create partnerships where every participant can recognize a meaningful win.

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