Curiosity with Kristen

Today I’m talking with Dia Bondi, communications coach, auctioneer, and author of Ask Like an Auctioneer.

Dia has had a fascinating career: from coaching leaders around the world and working on the Rio 2016 Olympic bid, to taking a sabbatical and heading to Missouri to learn how to become an auctioneer. And that unexpected experience completely changed the way she thinks about asking for what we want.

One of my favorite takeaways from our conversation is that an ask isn’t just about a raise or promotion. It could be asking for an introduction, an endorsement, a mentor, a board seat, an opportunity—or simply asking someone to advocate for you.

We also talk about career pivots, sabbaticals, navigating today’s challenging job market, and why sometimes we need to get uncomfortable and ask bigger than we think we should.

Because sometimes the opportunity you want isn’t being offered for one simple reason: nobody knows you want it. You have to ask.

So…what aren’t you asking for?

Let’s get curious with Dia!

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

If you’re looking for a job, or trying to hire great people, you’re going to want to hear this conversation.

Julia Holian, Career Coach & Interview Strategist, of Career Transformation Partners, shares what’s really happening in today’s job market and some major changes at LinkedIn that could completely change how you approach your job search.

Companies are posting fewer jobs, some openings are disappearing in just 3 to 7 days, and recruiters are increasingly finding candidates on LinkedIn before—or instead of—posting the job.

Julia explains how LinkedIn’s new AI-powered algorithm looks beyond just your résumé. Your headline, About section, connections, comments, engagement, and even the language you use throughout your profile can affect whether recruiters find you.

And one statistic really surprised me: your headline may account for 40% of how LinkedIn understands what you do.

We also get very practical—how often to post, why meaningful comments matter more than likes, what NOT to do with AI-generated content, and why Julia recommends spending 30 minutes a day on LinkedIn if you’re actively searching.

Julia provides a road map in updating your profile and using LinkedIn to the fullest. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaholian/

https://careertransformationpartners.com/

[email protected]

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Martina Fuchs is someone whose journey spans continents, cultures, and careers. She is an international journalist, global business leader, and humanitarian who has reported for Reuters, CNN, and Chinese television while living and working across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond.

But this conversation goes far beyond journalism. Martina shares how a chance meeting led to the creation of the Frequency School, a nonprofit bringing music, sound frequencies, and wellness education to underserved youth around the world. You'll hear about their groundbreaking work in India, their mission to improve mental health through the healing power of music, and the incredible Guinness World Record they set by uniting women from all 195 countries to say the word "equality" in their native languages.

If you've ever wondered how one person can combine purpose, global impact, and curiosity into a life of service, this episode will leave you inspired—and perhaps thinking differently about the power of music, connection, and what it truly means to change the world. 

www.linkedin.com/in/martinafuchsglobal/ (Martina's LinkedIn profile)

www.linkedin.com/company/the-frequency-school/posts/?feedView=all (The Frequency School)

www.frequency.school (Frequency School website)

www.youtube.com/@frequencyschool (Videos on the Frequency School)

https://youtu.be/uGz5WxCAHds?si=sXV2-D-JxDf1nPse (The song that earned them a Guinness World Record!)

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Andrea Hogan journey spans continents, careers, and one of the world's most transformative pilgrimages. From growing up in Ireland to building a remarkable leadership career with companies like IBM and Qualcomm, Andrea seemed to have everything on track. But when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, life took an unexpected turn.

That chapter eventually led Andrea to walk the 500-mile Camino de Santiago—a journey that became far more than a hike. Along the way, she carried her mother's journal from the very same pilgrimage years earlier, creating an extraordinary conversation across time, love, and memory. That experience inspired her beautiful book, The Closest Thing to Magic.

In this episode, we talk about career transitions, identity beyond work, finding joy alongside grief, happy emoji cells, the power of slowing down, and why sometimes the biggest transformation begins with simply taking the first step. 

www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-hogan/

Amazon.com: The Closest Thing to Magic: The Camino de Santiago: Through My Mother's Forgetting And My Own Becoming eBook : Hogan, Andrea: Books

www.elderhelpofsandiego.org/andrea-hogan/

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Parul Saini, a technology executive, entrepreneur, and founder of AI Ally Works, joins Curiosity with Kristen. Parul's journey began in India, where her curiosity about life and purpose eventually led her into the world of technology. Along the way, she navigated gender bias, built a successful career at companies including Adobe, Splunk, and Uber, and ultimately rose to become Uber's CIO.

But Parul's story is about much more than career success. In 2023, she faced one of the greatest challenges of her life that forced her to rethink priorities, resilience, and what success truly means.

Today, she's helping business leaders understand and embrace AI while building a community focused on education, innovation, and empowerment.

Join us as we discuss courage, leadership, health, reinvention, and the power of staying curious through life's biggest challenges.

www.linkedin.com/in/parul-saini-it-management-leadership/

www.aiallyworks.com

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Guisselle Nunez, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at San Jose State University, helps organizations and individuals communicate their value and achieve success through enduring marketing and personal branding strategies. Guisselle has led multi-million dollar branding and enrollment campaigns and brings a powerful perspective across marketing, communications, and public affairs.

She’s a speaker, coach, and author on personal branding and political leadership and has written 2 books: Take Charge of Your Brand and co-authored another one called Life in the Fishbowl.

But what makes this conversation so compelling is her personal journey - navigating life in the public eye, reinventing herself after a major life transition, and helping others find the confidence to step into their own voice.

In today’s conversation, we go beyond the surface of personal branding. We talk about how to build a brand rooted in authenticity, how to clearly communicate your value beyond your title, and the mindset shifts that help you grow through change. I know you're going to love it!! I sure did! :-)

www.linkedin.com/in/guissellenunez/ (LinkedIn profile)

www.guissellenunez.com (Guisselle's website)

www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07GVPWSN4 (Her 2 books: Take Charge of your Brand & Life in the Fishbowl book)

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Today on Curiosity with Kristen, we’re diving into the world of global leadership, cultural intelligence, and the future of talent with someone who has lived it at every level with Lori Adams‑Brown.

Lori’s story spans continents and crises. She grew up in Costa Rica and Venezuela, later serving in Indonesia during the 2004 tsunami, where she became a bridge between international NGOs and local communities. Those experiences shaped her signature leadership philosophy: listen first, understand deeply, and never assume your way is the right way.

Now based in Silicon Valley, Lori brings that same cross‑cultural fluency into global business, DEI strategy, and talent development across APAC, Europe, the Middle East, and LATAM. She’s a champion for culturally intelligent leadership — the kind that avoids missteps, builds trust, and creates real inclusion.

And she’s also on the front edge of AI in talent. Lori has evaluated AI tools for ethical recruiting, built her own AI agents, and designed leadership programs that blend human-centered development with AI-enabled personalization.

From trauma‑informed leadership to simulation‑based manager training to her personal board of directors, Lori models what learning agility looks like in the era of AI.

If you care about global leadership, ethical AI, or building cultures where people can truly grow, you’re going to love this conversation. Let’s get curious with Lori Adams‑Brown.

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

What if everything you thought you knew about building wealth was actually costing you — without you even realizing it?

Today's guest is Nader Yassa — financial educator, wealth strategist, and someone who has spent years cutting through the noise to teach people a simpler, smarter path to financial freedom.

In this episode, Nader breaks down why the system most of us are operating in is quietly working against us - from credit cards to consumer debt - and what it actually looks like to build real, lasting wealth through assets that produce income and appreciate over time.

We're talking cash flow, credit scores, real estate, and the one mindset shift that Nader says can change your financial life — at any age.

If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right but still not getting ahead, this episode is for you.

Let's get curious with my friend of over 25 years, Nader Yassa!

www.linkedin.com/in/naderyassa/

www.lifestyleplan.com/team_member/nader-yassa/

www.completefinancialwellness.com

www.maven.com/completefinancialwellness/oneotwothreefour

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

What does it mean to belong… to leave a legacy… and to keep hope alive when the world feels uncertain?

In episode 73, I’m joined by Shirley Gee, founder and Managing Partner of Angel Plus LLC, which performs diligence for latter stage start-ups in preparation for capitalization, and CEO of the Regional Resource Center, (Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay) a non-profit helping seniors, refugees and immigrants in several counties in the Bay Area. 

Shirley leads with an enormously compassionate heart!

In this episode, we talk about legacy, regret, faith, fear, and hope, plus what it means to live with empathy without losing yourself. 

www.linkedin.com/in/shirleygee/ (Shirley Gee's LinkedIn profile)

www.angelplusllc.com (Learn more about Angel Plus LLC)

www.vacceb.org (Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay)

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com

Today’s conversation is an important one—about aging, care, and how we support one another as our population shifts. By 2030, there will be more people over 65 than under 18, and that reality is already reshaping families, communities, and the way we think about long-term care.

I’m joined by Deka Dike (dee-K) , CEO and founder of Omatochi, a senior care technology company helping seniors age in place and built from personal experience. Deka worked 15 years at US Bank as VP in wealth management and mortgage loans previously before leaving to care for her parents. After seeing firsthand how fragmented, confusing, and expensive the system can be, she decided to do something about it. 

In this episode, we explore aging in place, the hidden crisis of social isolation among seniors, why long-term care planning needs to start long before a crisis, and what it really takes to build a mission-driven health-tech company—especially as a Black female founder in Silicon Valley. We also talk about affordability, dignity, and the power of community.

It’s a thoughtful, honest, and necessary conversation about the future of senior care—and the future we’re all heading toward.

Find me on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/krev/
www.therevellgroup.com