Daily Influence

Understanding our influence allows us to understand that we are all leaders at different times within our areas of influence. Listen to this revisit of Daily Influence episode 74 where we define leadership in a different context.

After three decades of building organizations, systems, and leaders, experience teaches us more than how to lead — it teaches us what leadership requires.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith, PhD reflects on how leadership evolves from proving capability to stewarding responsibility. As influence expands, so does obligation — not just to results, but to people, systems, culture, and long-term impact.

This conversation explores why mature leadership is less about speed and ego, and more about judgment, awareness, and intentional influence — especially in times of division, pressure, and constant visibility.

Because influence is always happening. The question is how carefully we choose to use it.

So many high-achieving women quietly carry burnout that goes far deeper than a packed calendar and today’s conversation names what’s really happening underneath it.

Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Dr. Julie Merriman, licensed mental health clinician, counselor educator, burnout researcher, author, and founder of the Soul Joy brand, to unpack what she calls identity burnout: the slow erosion that happens when we keep performing a role (dependable, capable, self-sacrificing) long after it stops being sustainable.

Dr. Julie shares her personal turning point when outward success masked an inner emptiness and how that experience shaped the Soul Joy Method, a body-based path back to wholeness through somatic awareness, nervous system regulation, chakra psychology, and reconnection to purpose and relationships. You’ll also hear why resentment isn’t a character flaw it’s information and how tiny “micro-boundaries” can become the first step toward real change.

Plus, Dr. Julie shares a grounded take on using AI as a support tool not a substitute for connection by clearing mental load so we can return to what makes life feel meaningful.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, invisible, stuck in obligation, or like you’ve lost yourself under responsibility, this episode will bring clarity, language, and practical first steps—because positive and responsible influence doesn’t start with doing more. It starts with listening more deeply to yourself.

Connect with Dr. Julie:

Website: https://www.juliemerrimanphd.com/

Book: In Pursuit of Soul Joy https://a.co/d/3HJtsnU

Thirty years ago, Individual Advantages began not as a firm with a master plan, but as a vehicle for learning — a place to observe how people behave when technology, pressure, and change enter their world.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith, PhD reflects on what three decades of S.M.A.R.T. Management — and a lifetime of learning, mistakes, and evolution — have revealed about leadership, growth, and responsibility.

This conversation moves beyond celebration and into obligation:

Why growth and scaling are not the same — and confusing them causes damage

Why S.M.A.R.T. only works when it becomes a discipline, not a checklist

Why mature leadership requires letting go of what once worked

How influence without awareness becomes harmful, even with good intentions

As Brian reflects on turning 60, this episode challenges leaders to slow down, listen to the present moment, and grow without breaking the people inside their organizations.

What if influence wasn’t about perfection, polish, or titles—but about energy, accountability, and how you show up for others?

In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Chris Starkey, partner at Mojo Maker and the personality behind Dance Dad TV, to explore what positive and responsible influence looks like in real life.

Chris shares his journey from performer and entrepreneur to purpose-driven leader, shaped by his daughter’s life-changing medical challenges and the special needs community that became his tribe. Through dance, storytelling, and intentional connection, Chris has built a community rooted in joy, inclusion, and momentum—both online and off.

Together, Gregg and Chris discuss:

• How accountability and humility strengthen influence

• Why emotional intelligence (EQ) matters more than ever in leadership

• Turning personal challenges into purpose-driven action

• Using energy, creativity, and consistency to uplift communities

• How giving—without expectation—creates impact that multiplies

This conversation is a reminder that influence lives in everyday moments: how we listen, how we include, and how we lead with intention.

Whether you’re a business owner, parent, creator, or community leader, this episode will encourage you to lean into connection and use your influence responsibly—one interaction at a time.

Listen in and take your daily dose of positivity.

Connect with Chirs:

https://www.instagram.com/dancedad_starkey/

https://www.facebook.com/chris.starkey.142

https://www.youtube.com/@dancedadtv2874

https://www.chrisstarkey.com/

Join Brian Smith on this revisit to episode 226 of the Daily Influence as he delves into the power of fostering a growth mindset within your teams by defining and implementing equity and inclusion.

Discover how promoting diversity and creating an inclusive culture can enhance continuous learning, resilience, adaptability, and psychological safety in your organization. Brian shares insights on how these principles align with organizational values, boost motivation, and engagement, and ultimately drive success for both individuals and the company.

Tune in to learn how to uplift your team and create a balanced environment where everyone feels valued and empowered. #GrowthMindset #EquityInclusion #DailyInfluence #TheIinTeamSeries

Most leaders don’t wake up planning to react all day — but urgency keeps winning.

Emails pull focus.

Problems demand attention.

Decisions stack up faster than they can be made.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explains why reactivity isn’t a leadership flaw — it’s a systems signal. He explores how a lack of structure creates urgency, how leaders unintentionally become bottlenecks, and why disciplined cadence and accountability are the keys to moving from constant firefighting to intentional leadership.

This conversation reframes leadership away from rescue and toward rhythm — showing how SMART, when practiced as both a framework and a discipline, creates calm, predictability, and steady progress even in uncertain environments.

Leadership doesn’t scale through constant presence.

It scales through systems that work when you step back.

Connection is not accidental — it’s intentionally designed.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Aaron Smalls, host, DJ, Experience Architect, and creator of Charismatic Advantage: The Art of Social Energy. From his early days at Nickelodeon to commanding stages and designing high-trust experiences for audiences of 50 to 50,000, Aaron shares how presence, intention, and awareness shape meaningful influence.

Together, they explore what responsible influence truly means — leading without ego, reading the room with integrity, and creating environments where people feel seen, safe, and empowered to be themselves. Aaron reveals how influence is less about performance and more about stewardship, reminding others of who they already are.

They also dive into:

• How social energy impacts leadership, communication, and trust

• Why influence is an energy exchange, not a spotlight

• Using AI as preparation — not replacement — for human presence

• Protecting your energy in high-pressure environments

• Why every moment, conversation, and space can be a stage for positive impact

Aaron leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: influence doesn’t require a platform — just presence, care, and intention.

Whether you’re leading a team, hosting an event, or connecting one-on-one, this episode will challenge you to think differently about how your energy shapes the experiences you create.

Connect with Aaron:

Website: https://aaronsmalls.com/

Social Links:

Instagram: @CuriouslyTalented & @TheAaronSmalls

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

Most leaders believe they’ve been clear.

Expectations were set. Goals were communicated. “Good” was explained.

And yet — execution still breaks down.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores why the real breakdown isn’t effort or intent — it’s accountability. He unpacks why expectations without ownership create frustration, how accountability has been misunderstood as control, and why disciplined accountability actually frees people instead of pressuring them.

This conversation reframes accountability as clarity with follow-through, shows how SMART makes accountability visible rather than emotional, and explains why strong accountability protects high performers while allowing leaders to step out of rescue mode.

Expectations set direction.

Accountability is what moves the work forward.

In this powerful episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Arianna Rose and Soleil Laurent, the visionary founders of Equality Education, an organization redefining how emotional intelligence is taught across schools, communities, and organizations.

What began as a serendipitous friendship in Brooklyn during the pandemic has grown into a movement impacting over 100 New York City schools, partnering with major brands like Puma, Meta, NBC, and Bellevue Hospital, and placing more than 100,000 personal development workbooks into the hands of learners of all ages.

In this conversation, Arianna and Soleil share:

• Why emotional intelligence should be foundational in education—for students, parents, and leaders alike

• How self-agency and self-love create ripple effects that transform relationships, teams, and communities

• A deeply moving real-world story of how their affirmation tools helped a child in crisis

• Their thoughtful approach to responsible AI use, balancing technology with human development

• Practical encouragement for anyone who wants to create positive change—starting right where they are

This episode is a reminder that meaningful influence begins within. When we understand ourselves, we lead better, love better, and build stronger communities—together.

Connect with Equality Education

Website: https://www.theequalityeducation.com/

Instagram (Equality Education): https://www.instagram.com/theequalityedu/

Instagram (Friends Who Want You to Win): https://www.instagram.com/friendswhowantyoutowin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEqualityEducation/