Create Magic At Work®

What does the future of leadership look like through Gen Z eyes?

In this episode of Create Magic at Work, Amy sits down with JC Carr — an Territory Account Manager at World Emblem, entrepreneur, and social media influencer — to explore how the next generation is reshaping business, philanthropy, and work culture.

✨ In this conversation, you'll hear about:

1. How JC built a successful exotic car brokerage while still in college
2. Lessons Gen Z is bringing into traditional industries like manufacturing
3. Why philanthropy and giving back are central to JC's leadership approach
4. Lean management principles explained in a human-centered way
5. JC's words of hope for Gen Z professionals navigating today's workforce
6. The reminder that you're always one conversation away from a different life

🎧 Tune in for a refreshing, candid perspective from Gen Z and discover what the future of leadership might hold.

Additional Resources:

1. Connect with JC on LinkedIn
2. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
3. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. Gen Z brings fresh perspective and identifies overlooked issues.
2. Lean management enhances efficiency without eliminating people.
3. Change creates opportunities for growth and innovation.
4. One conversation can transform your entire career path.

What if the parts of yourself you've tried to hide are actually the keys to your healing? 🌱

Cari sits down with her longtime friend and trauma therapist Lisa Danylchuk, founder of the Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery and author of "Yoga for Trauma Recovery." Together, they dive deep into the messy, magical process of turning life's pain into purpose.

Lisa opens up about her experience with grief and how yoga became her lifeline, sparking a lifelong mission to help others heal through self-awareness and compassion. The two explore how even the so-called "trash," grief, shame, imposter syndrome, and the parts of ourselves we'd rather ignore, can actually hold the gold. 🧘‍♀️💛

If you're ready to start reclaiming the parts of yourself you've pushed aside, head to http://www.bravedirections.com.

Follow along on Instagram @cari_jacobs_sf for more inspiration!

Additional Resources:

1. Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn
2. Learn more about How We Can Heal
3. Listen to Lisa's podcast: How We Can Heal
4. Connect with Cari on LinkedIn

Key Takeaways:

1. Healing begins with gently approaching your pain.
2. Avoidance often masks deeper emotions needing attention.
3. Trauma recovery is unique for every individual.
4. Inner healing directly strengthens external leadership impact.
5. Self-awareness fosters genuine connection and resilience.

We've all read the data on how storytelling drives connection and empathy. But what happens when people go beyond storytelling and put their most vulnerable, transformative experiences on the page?

In this episode, I sit down with Cynthia Gregory—award-winning writer, journaling advocate, and publisher of "Love Notes from the Soul" and the upcoming "Love Notes 2.0"—to talk about how personal narrative can reshape workplace culture, inspire human connection, and even shift our physical and emotional well-being.

✨ Why vulnerability on the page can create power in real life

✨ How storytelling acts as a catalyst for healing, empathy, and impact

✨ What happens when nonprofit leaders and corporate professionals share their truths

✨ The surprising neuroscience behind journaling and emotional regulation

✨ How Cynthia's own silent retreat sparked an anthology movement of everyday miracles

This one hits deep. Together we explore why "Love Notes" isn't just a book, it's a movement for more compassionate leadership.

If you've ever wondered whether your story matters, this episode is your sign.

📖 Grab your copy of Love Notes 2.0 Here > https://www.coachcynthiagregory.com/

Additional Resources:

1. Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn
2. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
3. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. Vulnerability creates powerful connections at work and beyond.
2. Personal stories can spark healing and transformation.
3. Journaling improves emotional regulation and empathy.
4. Authentic storytelling builds compassionate leadership.
5. Every story shared gives others permission to share too.

We've all seen the programs promising to "fix" your money mindset. But are they truly helping women step into power, or just selling us the same story in a shinier package?

In this conversation with Suzanne Longstreet, master mindset coach, NLP trainer, and co-author of The Millionaire Codes, I ask the questions many of us are secretly thinking:

✨ Do women actually need more money mindset coaching, or do we need a new system altogether? ✨ How much of our struggle is "limiting beliefs" vs. systemic barriers like patriarchy and pay inequity? ✨ Why confidence often trumps competence in the workplace (and how that leads to narcissistic leaders). ✨ What it takes to stop apologizing, start owning your authority, and rewrite the rules of leadership.

This one gets real. I bring the spice, Suzanne brings the strategies, and together we unpack what it really means for women to lead, earn, and receive with clarity and confidence.

🔮 Plus: Suzanne shares insights from The Millionaire Codes, how NLP can shift trauma and phobias, and the one simple daily practice that can rewire your brain to receive more.

If you've ever wondered whether "money mindset" is a tool or a trap, this episode is for you.

Additional Resources:

1. Connect with Suzanne on LinkedIn
2. Follow Suzanne on Facebook
3. Get Suzanne's book - "The Millionaire Codes"
4. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
5. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. Clear mental blocks with NLP to boost confidence.
2. Confidence often outweighs competence in leadership perception.
3. NLP enables fast transformation and bold action.
4. Systemic barriers still limit women, often reinforced by other women.
5. Practice receiving. Ask for help to prevent burnout.

Red flags. Green flags. And the invisible signs of a toxic workplace that too many of us ignore until it's too late.

This episode brings you the powerful story of Kaitlyn Rios — her journey through burnout, the near-breaking point that changed everything, and the creation of Faced With Grace, her nonprofit dedicated to helping women navigate toxic work environments with courage and clarity.

🎧 Listen in as Kaitlyn and I dive into:

1. The subtle red flags of a toxic workplace you might be missing
2. The "green flags" and glimmers that point to healthy, life-giving environments
3. Her deeply personal turning point that sparked Faced With Grace
4. Practical tools to set boundaries, honor your values, and know when it's time to leave

This episode is a call to pause, take inventory of where you are, and reimagine what's possible when we lead from integrity and compassion.

If something in this episode resonates, let's turn reflection into action:

1. ✏️ Journal on your values — are you living in alignment?
2. 🔗 Share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that they're not alone
3. 🧘‍♀️ Take one micro-step today to protect your energy and honor your worth

Your story matters. Your well-being matters. And together, we can create workplaces where people truly thrive.

Additional Resources:

1. Follow Faced with Grace on LinkedIn
2. Learn more about Faced With Grace
3. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
4. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. Red flags aren't always obvious, be sure to trust your gut.
2. Green flags show up as safety, openness, and alignment.
3. Boundaries protect energy and model healthy leadership.
4. Values are the compass for career decisions.
5. Exit with grace: protect your health and professionalism.

What if the parts of yourself you've spent years pushing away are actually the keys to your biggest growth? 🌱

Cari sits down with Stanford professor, executive coach, and therapist Henry Most for a deep yet playful dive into shadow work. Together, they explore Carl Jung's framework for how we become our truest selves, why anxiety might just be a sign that hidden treasures are knocking at the door, and how leaders can move from constant "doing" to authentic "being."

Henry gets real about his own story, from childhood dynamics to a life-shaking crisis that became a turning point, and shares how everyday practices like pausing, breathing, and listening to the body can transform the way we live and lead.

Key Takeaways:

1. Shadow work reintegrates the parts of ourselves we've suppressed.
2. The first half of life builds ego; the second seeks authentic Self.
3. Anxiety can signal suppressed parts pushing to surface.
4. Leadership growth means shifting from doing to being.
5. Transformation can come through small daily practices.

If you're ready to start reclaiming the parts of yourself you've pushed aside, head to http://www.bravedirections.com.

Follow along on Instagram @cari_jacobs_sf for more inspiration!

Additional Resources:

Connect with Henry on LinkedIn

Connect with Cari on LinkedIn

Four years. 80+ countries. Countless conversations that have changed the way we think about leadership.

This episode takes you behind the mic — celebrating four years of Create Magic at Work®, the sparks that started it all, and where we're heading next.

🎧 Listen in as I share:

1. The story of how this podcast was born.
2. Favorite moments and guests who brought chills and tears
3. Why the human voice is more powerful than ever in the age of AI
4. What's next for leaders navigating burnout and change

This anniversary isn't just about the podcast. It's about you. Every listener, every share, every review — you've helped grow this into a global conversation.

If something in this episode resonates, celebrate with me:

1. ⭐ Rate and review the show
2. 🔗 Share an episode that gave you chills
3. 🙌 Bring your own magic into the world of work

The adventure of life continues — and the boldest chapters are just ahead.

👉 Join the movement: Register here for From Exhausted to Aligned

Additional Resources:

1. Energetic Alignment registration page
2. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
3. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. Wisdom and compassion are essential to curing burnout.
2. Human connection through voice matters, especially in the AI era.
3. Leadership is about authenticity, not perfection.

Is HR missing its heart?

For years, HR has been viewed as a rule enforcer, but what if it could be a source of healing and transformation instead?

Samm Smeltzer, HR Intuitive, visionary, and healer, joins Amy to share her journey from corporate frustration to founding The HRart Center, a restorative community reimagining the role of HR. Through her unique blend of intuition, Qigong, and leadership development, Samm helps leaders release old energy, reclaim authenticity, and bring more humanity back into work.

This is about restoring HR's true purpose: helping people thrive.

🎧 In this episode:

1. How Samm went from aspiring musician to award-winning HR leader and healer
2. Why embracing intuition changed her leadership and her work
3. The surprising ways Qigong helps leaders reset and show up differently
4. How organizations can shift from performance-only coaching to whole-person growth
5. Why presence, authenticity, and energy clearing are the missing links in modern leadership

✨ Ready to rethink HR's role in creating healthier workplaces?

Samm shows how leaders can integrate both strategy and spirit to create cultures rooted in presence, authenticity, and care.

1. 📲 Learn more about The HRart Center: https://hrartcenter.com
2. 📲 Join the Energetic Alignment event here: https://www.hrartinstitute.com/share/cXTd68bAgWX32wjv?utm_source=manual

Additional Resources:

1. Energetic Alignment registration page
2. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
3. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. HR's impact starts with the well-being of its own practitioners.
2. Intuition is a leadership strength, not "woo."
3. Qigong helps leaders release stress and reset.
4. Coaching should include practices that clear energy.
5. Servant leadership builds legacies beyond self.

Is your workplace silently wounding your people?

From subtle exclusions to outright abuse, most professionals carry career wounds, but rarely have the language or tools to name them. The result? Burnout, disengagement, and nervous systems stuck in survival mode.

Dr. Marie Gervais, leadership coach, author of "The Spirit of Work," and host of the Culture and Leadership Connections podcast, joins Amy to unpack her groundbreaking TED Talk on career trauma and what leaders can do about it.

💥 This is about healing the unseen scars that keep people from thriving at work.

🎧 In this episode:

1. What career trauma really is (and why almost everyone has it)
2. How workplace loneliness and disconnection feed into deeper wounds
3. Practical ways leaders can "buy time" to respond instead of react
4. Why safety, encouragement, and emotional protection are the foundation of leadership
5. Simple tools, from breathwork to virtues cards, that can transform workplace culture

✨ Want more "glimmers" in your workplace?

Dr. Marie shares how noticing small moments of safety and connection can rewire our nervous systems and bring more joy back into work.

📲 Watch Dr. Marie's TED Talk on career trauma here: https://youtu.be/vRExzK9_0HQ?si=h2mxUresfGfbofbB

Additional Resources:

1. Connect with Dr. Marie Gervais
2. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
3. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. Career trauma is real: Workplace wounds affect well-being and performance.
2. Safety first: Healing begins when the nervous system feels safe.
3. Pause to respond: Breath and time prevent reactive leadership.
4. Encourage, don't criticize: Recognition builds trust and connection.
5. Spot the glimmers: Small positive moments fuel resilience and joy.

Are your top leaders quietly burning out?

They may not say it — but you're seeing the signs: checked-out energy, decision fatigue, disengagement. And replacing them? Costs more than you think.

In this powerful episode, returning guest Samm Smeltzer, founder of The HRart Center, joins Amy to unveil a groundbreaking leadership development experience: Energetic Alignment for Leaders — a transformative new partnership between CMAW executive coaches and HRart Center energy healers.

💥 This is burnout recovery and energetic healing journey wrapped in one.

🎧 In this episode:

1. The real reason leaders walk away from roles they once loved
2. Why "work-life balance" is broken (and what to build instead)
3. What Qigong and Chinese medicine can teach us about leadership capacity A behind-the-scenes peek at the Energetic Alignment experience
4. How coaching + energy healing = the support leaders actually need

📲 Sign up at www.createmagicatwork.net to meet our team, ask your questions, and get a feel for what real leadership healing can look like.

Additional Resources:

1. Use the Energetic Alignment registration page
2. Connect with Amy Lynn Durham
3. Learn More About Create Magic at Work

Key Takeaways:

1. Recover energy before pursuing leadership growth.
2. Qigong + coaching boosts wellbeing and performance.
3. Invest early to prevent burnout.
4. Start with high support, then foster independence.
5. Alignment sustains leaders better than passion bursts.