Empowered & Out

You can build a successful career and still wonder: Is this really the life I want?

On this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon welcomes author and former corporate professional Harrison Viers Newberry for a conversation about identity beyond work, consciousness, and learning to hear your own voice.

Drawing on his spiritual journey, Harrison shares his beliefs about intuition, interconnectedness, and the relationship between fear and love. Together, we explore how family expectations, professional labels, and old messages about who we “should” be can influence the choices we make.

The conversation also ventures into Harrison’s views on the matrix, spiritual transformation, and extraterrestrial life. His spiritual interpretations and predictions are presented as his personal perspective.

You don’t need to share his beliefs to consider the question at the heart of this episode: What do you actually want—and how much space are you giving yourself to hear the answer?

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome: Who are you beyond your job title?
01:15 The energy check-in
02:56 Harrison’s perspective on consciousness and reality
17:54 His spiritual path, intuition, and inherited beliefs
24:09 What career success leaves unanswered
27:59 Nonjudgment and other people’s expectations
31:01 Listening inward and finding your purpose
34:17 Fear, fulfillment, and changing your mindset
41:21 Harrison’s predictions about spiritual change and ET disclosure
46:12 Self-honesty, fear, love, and gratitude
50:55 Harrison’s beliefs about ETs and interconnectedness
52:58 A closing invitation to pause and listen
55:53 Where to find Harrison and his books
57:49 Your next step with Coach Jon

CONNECT WITH HARRISON

Find his books on Amazon under Harrison Newberry. He also shares that you can find him on Instagram @HarrisonViers.

TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP

What have you been afraid to admit you want from your career—or your life?

Give yourself a few quiet minutes with that question. If you’d like support exploring purpose, rebuilding confidence, and planning your next career move, message Coach Jon CLARITY to talk about working together.

Follow Empowered & Out wherever you listen, and share this episode with someone who’s questioning what comes next.

Your business can evolve without erasing the person behind it. But how do you keep your voice when AI, social media, and the pressure to be everywhere keep pulling you in different directions?

Returning guest Joseph Federico joins Coach Jon for an honest, funny, and occasionally unfiltered conversation about building a business that still feels like you. A queer marketing coach, author, publisher, and founder of J. Federico Marketing and Anchors to Dusk Publishing, Joe shares how a difficult health chapter helped him rethink success, rebuild his brand, and relaunch Camp Maven.

We get into using AI while keeping human creativity and judgment involved, building professional relationships that go beyond a transaction, choosing where to spend your marketing energy, and recognizing when a client or collaboration is the wrong fit. We also talk about showing up in your local community, putting the damn phone down, and why protecting your energy belongs in your business strategy.

And because Joe brings a little witchy marketing wisdom wherever he goes, we finish with spooky-season rapid-fire questions—including which social platforms belong in a horror movie.

If you're a queer entrepreneur, creative professional, coach, or someone rebuilding your confidence, this conversation invites you to ask: Am I growing in a direction that still feels like me?

Connect with Joseph Federico:

• Camp Maven: https://tinyurl.com/4bc65nk4
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3bpVBzA
• Instagram: https://bit.ly/3dFeDEa

• Empowered & Out Coaching: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout

Contains strong language.

Podcast chapters

00:00 Welcome back: Meet returning guest Joseph Federico
02:53 Energy check-in and an unfiltered conversation
04:41 Rebuilding health, business, and Camp Maven
11:37 Redefining success and facing the fear of change
15:06 Community and collaboration for queer entrepreneurs
18:41 Authentic relationships and aligned collaborations
22:35 AI, creativity, and keeping the human touch
30:04 Using AI without losing your brand voice
33:09 Fact-checking, judgment, and responsibility
34:57 Adapting to changing social media platforms
39:15 Choosing where to focus your marketing energy
42:46 Local events and face-to-face connection
47:18 When to rethink your marketing strategy
48:07 Client fit, boundaries, and LGBTQ+ inclusion
55:42 Protecting your health and putting the phone down
1:01:11 Slow seasons, outreach, and new opportunities
1:02:56 Spooky-season marketing rapid fire
1:05:24 Reconnecting with why you started
1:07:32 Take action and connect with Coach Jon and Joe

Listen, follow Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, and share this episode with someone navigating their next chapter. Feeling stuck in yours?

Message Coach Jon CLARITY to learn about a complimentary career clarity call.

What if your next job interview became a conversation about whether the workplace is right for you, too?

Coach Jon opens a new season of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast with Julio Govreau, a business and human resources leader with more than 25 years of experience and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

Julio shares his approach to being a “potential partner”—someone who helps people recognize their strengths, develop their talent, and see possibilities they may have overlooked.

Together, we explore how to research workplace inclusion, ask meaningful interview questions, and communicate your experience with greater confidence. Julio also shares his perspective as a gay Latino veteran and the importance of finding an organization that supports the whole person.

In this conversation:

• Look for signs of inclusion, psychological safety, and values alignment.
• Ask how a future manager handles disagreement and supports development.
• Use the STAR method and “I” statements to explain your contributions.
• Recognize the value of volunteer work, board service, and transferable skills.
• Approach a career transition with curiosity, intention, and room to recharge.

You bring value to the conversation. This episode will help you recognize it—and ask whether the employer recognizes it, too.

Want support rebuilding your confidence, preparing for interviews, or finding a career that fits? Message Coach Jon with CONFIDENT or schedule a complimentary career clarity call: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout 

Follow Empowered & Out wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend navigating a career change, and join us next time for a conversation with a returning guest.

Podcast chapters

00:00 Welcome to a new season and meet Julio
02:32 Energy check-in
03:26 What it means to be a potential partner
04:55 Mentorship and recognizing hidden strengths
09:09 How leaders can invest in the person
10:43 Researching psychological safety and inclusion
15:18 Questions that reveal workplace culture
18:16 Identity, disclosure, and feeling supported
22:11 The interview is a two-way evaluation
24:46 Questions about growth, priorities, and success
29:09 Evaluating a role when you need a job
30:59 What interview reactions can tell you
32:50 Building confidence through preparation
37:06 Making STAR answers conversational
38:48 Using notes and knowing your resume
43:36 Talking about accomplishments without feeling boastful
45:56 Taking ownership of a career transition
48:44 Setting boundaries around your job search
51:39 Rapid fire: office bands, interview kits, and theme songs
55:03 A question to help you recognize your potential
55:53 Closing reflections and career coaching support

What happens when the life you planned no longer fits the person you are becoming?

In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Joshlyn Peace—a multidisciplinary artist, writer, sculptor, published author, model, and creative leader—for an honest conversation about identity, grief, workplace leadership, creativity, and starting over.

Joshlyn shares how stepping away from constant motion helped them process a season of profound change, including a corporate layoff, the loss of loved ones, changes within the modeling industry, and their evolving understanding of their bisexual and non-binary identity. They also reflect on leading an LGBTQ+ business resource group, finding their voice through leadership, refusing to reshape themselves to fit someone else’s mold, and redefining success beyond traditional expectations.

This conversation is a reminder that reinvention does not have to mean becoming someone completely different. Sometimes it means releasing the expectations that no longer belong to you and becoming more fully who you have always been.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why stillness can be essential when life has changed faster than you can process
• What Joshlyn’s identity journey taught them about self-discovery and belonging
• How LGBTQ+ employee resource groups can create language, education, and connection
• What leadership taught Joshlyn about listening, advocacy, and finding their voice
• How creativity can support healing through grief, loss, and uncertainty
• Why authenticity and financial preparation both matter during a career transition
• Joshlyn’s message for anyone wondering whether it is too late to begin again

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome and introduction to Joshlyn Peace
01:36 — Energy check-in and finding places of peace
03:24 — The road trip that created space for healing
05:13 — Releasing expectations and living for yourself
09:21 — Coming out as bisexual and embracing a non-binary identity
14:03 — The moment Joshlyn truly saw themself
16:17 — What workplaces need to understand about gender identity
18:06 — Leadership lessons from running an LGBTQ+ business resource group
20:40 — How leadership helped Joshlyn find their creative voice
22:19 — Navigating grief, a layoff, loss, and major change
26:02 — Rebuilding confidence when life feels uncertain
28:26 — Redefining success beyond society’s expectations
29:51 — Discovering purpose by embracing what makes you different
31:03 — What makes the next chapter exciting
31:59 — Choosing authenticity while considering financial security
35:28 — Rapid-fire questions
44:57 — Joshlyn’s advice when everything feels uncertain
48:52 — Final reflections and episode call to action

If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, share this episode with someone navigating change, loss, identity, or a career transition, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

Feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected, or uncertain about your next career move? 

Connect with Coach Jon at Empowered & Out Coaching here: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout and schedule a complimentary Career Clarity Call. 

You do not need to have your entire future figured out—you only need to be willing to take the next authentic step.

What does it actually mean for a church to be LGBTQ+ affirming — not simply welcoming, but genuinely safe, inclusive, and committed to belonging?

In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon is joined by Reverend Liz Patz, pastor of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Elgin, Illinois, and returning guest Maya Garner for an open and deeply personal conversation about faith, LGBTQ+ identity, religious hurt, healing, scripture, and finding community.

Maya shares her experience searching for affirming churches and the additional questions she has carried as a Black LGBTQ+ woman. Reverend Liz explains why genuine affirmation requires much more than displaying a rainbow flag — and what churches in the United Church of Christ actually go through when pursuing the official Open and Affirming designation.

The conversation also tackles one of the most difficult subjects surrounding LGBTQ+ people and Christianity: scripture. Reverend Liz discusses the importance of historical and cultural context when interpreting biblical texts, and the group explores the controversy surrounding the introduction of the word “homosexual” into modern Bible translations and the documentary 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture.

As Reverend Liz and Maya remind us throughout this conversation: keep looking. Your people may be out there.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ — Elgin, Illinois
www.stpauluccelgin.org

St. Paul’s identifies itself as an Open and Affirming congregation and offers both in-person and online worship. (St. Paul's United Church of Christ)

Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ
https://openandaffirming.org/

Find an affirming church:
https://www.gaychurch.org/

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture
https://www.1946themovie.com/

🎙️ PODCAST CHAPTERS

00:00 — Why Are We Talking About Faith on a Career Podcast?
01:44 — Energy Check-In With Liz & Maya
03:20 — Reverend Liz’s Journey Into Ministry
05:50 — Maya’s Personal Faith Journey
11:59 — “Is This Church Really Safe for Me?”
14:31 — What “Open and Affirming” Actually Means
19:19 — Returning to Church After Religious Hurt
24:08 — Why “Open and Affirming” Carries Responsibility
26:05 — How a Church Becomes Open and Affirming
29:28 — Why Flying a Rainbow Flag Isn’t Enough
33:27 — How to Tell Whether a Church Is Genuinely Affirming
38:07 — LGBTQ+ People, Scripture & Religious Harm
41:03 — Why Historical Context Matters When Reading the Bible
42:50 — The 1946 Translation Conversation
49:48 — What Authentic Welcome and Belonging Look Like
52:24 — How Do You Know You’ve Found the Right Church?
53:43 — LGBTQ+ Inclusion Beyond Sunday Morning
58:55 — Finding Community When You Live in a Small Town
1:01:13 — How Online Worship Has Changed Access
1:04:19 — Hope for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Faith Communities
1:07:07 — Where There Is Still Work to Do
1:09:46 — Rapid Fire With Liz & Maya 😂
1:18:58 — A Final Message for Anyone Carrying Religious Hurt
1:22:17 — Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Resources

What happens when the career title you worked so hard to earn no longer reflects who you are—or the life you want to build?

In this episode, Coach Jon sits down with Malcolm Chen, an investor relations manager, entrepreneur, career advisor, community builder and proud cat daddy based in Singapore.

Malcolm shares how his unconventional career journey took him through hospitality, human resources, marketing, communications, adult education, entrepreneurship and investor relations—and why those pivots ultimately helped him separate his identity from his job title.

Together, Jon and Malcolm explore how our definitions of success change over time, why career growth does not always mean climbing the corporate ladder and how professionals can begin building financial and career resilience before they desperately need it.

Malcolm also shares honest lessons from starting multiple businesses, balancing ambition with burnout, building a community around his pet products company and choosing progress over perfection when launching something new.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why your job title should not become your entire identity
• How burnout can force you to reconsider what success means
• Why career pivots do not have to follow a traditional path
• How to build a career safety net through skills, interests and relationships
• The difference between planning carefully and getting trapped in analysis paralysis
• Why community is becoming more valuable than simply producing more content
• How purpose can extend beyond work and income
• What LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion can look like in Singapore
• Why you do not have to follow someone else’s definition of success

Whether you are considering a career pivot, building a side business, questioning your professional identity or simply wondering what comes next, this conversation will encourage you to remain open to the next adventure.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome and introduction to Malcolm Chen
02:30 – An unconventional career across multiple industries
03:00 – Realizing you are more than your job title
05:23 – Burnout, mental health and rebuilding career identity
08:09 – What happens when your identity is tied to work?
09:56 – Redefining success beyond climbing the ladder
13:01 – Titles, comparison and choosing work-life balance
14:55 – Career decisions that felt risky but paid off
17:36 – Returning to corporate life in a completely new role
19:47 – How to recognize when it is time to pivot
22:37 – Building a career and financial safety net
25:38 – Common mistakes people make with side businesses
27:48 – Progress over perfection in entrepreneurship
29:45 – Balancing business ambition without burning out
32:40 – Building a pet business around community and purpose
35:27 – How Malcolm’s definition of purpose has evolved
37:55 – LGBTQ+ professional life in Singapore
39:19 – Pink Dot, LGBTQ+ rights and social progress
43:04 – Pride celebrations in Singapore and the United States
45:26 – Misconceptions about LGBTQ+ life across Asia
48:49 – What global LGBTQ+ communities can learn from one another
52:15 – Rapid-fire questions with Malcolm
54:42 – Malcolm’s message for anyone feeling stuck
55:39 – Final reflections and how to take your next step

Feeling stuck, disconnected or unsure about your next professional move?

Through the Empowered Career Transformation Program, Coach Jon helps professionals move from career confusion and self-doubt into clarity, confidence, strategy and aligned action.

Send Coach Jon a message with the word CLARITY to learn more or schedule a career clarity conversation.

What does it really mean to be authentic at work?

In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Amanda Millar—lawyer, ADHD coach, leadership consultant, suicide prevention trustee, and the first openly LGBTQ+ President of the Law Society of Scotland—for an honest conversation about authenticity, leadership, inclusion, and mental wellbeing.

Together they explore why so many professionals still feel they need to hide parts of themselves at work, how inclusive leadership directly impacts organizational success, and why mental health deserves the same attention as physical health.

Amanda also shares her personal leadership journey, the lessons she wishes she knew earlier in her career, and why curiosity—not certainty—is one of the most important leadership qualities.

Whether you're a leader, manager, HR professional, LGBTQ+ employee, or simply someone trying to build a career where you can truly be yourself, this episode is packed with practical insights and meaningful reflection.

You'll learn:

• Why authenticity looks different for everyone

• The hidden cost of masking at work

• How great leaders create psychological safety

• Why inclusion is more than policies and ERGs

• The connection between mental wellbeing and workplace culture

• How curiosity creates stronger organizations

• Advice for LGBTQ+ professionals navigating authenticity

If you've ever wondered whether you truly belong at work, this conversation is for you.

Podcast Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Meet Amanda Millar

01:20 Amanda's Career Journey

07:10 Finding Her Leadership Voice

13:00 Advice to Her Younger Self

15:15 What Authenticity Really Means

20:05 Common Misunderstandings About Authenticity

26:30 LGBTQ+ Mental Health Matters

34:15 Creating Safe Workplace Cultures

37:00 One Leadership Habit That Changes Everything

39:00 What Inclusive Organizations Do Differently

44:15 Advice for LGBTQ+ Professionals

52:40 Hope for the Next Generation

1:00:20 Rapid Fire Questions

1:02:15 Amanda's Final Message

What happens when you stop living for everyone else's expectations and finally start living for yourself?

In this deeply honest conversation, Coach Jon sits down with Steven Whyte—lawyer, coach, former Mr. Gay Scotland, marathon runner, and confidence coach—to explore what it truly means to reinvent yourself.

Steven shares his journey from growing up gay in Scotland during the 1980s, hiding parts of himself for years, navigating multiple career changes, transforming his health, and discovering that lasting change has very little to do with weight—and everything to do with identity.

Together they discuss:

• Growing up feeling different
• Coming out and finding acceptance
• Why career success doesn't always equal fulfillment
• Midlife as a time of awakening—not crisis
• The mindset shifts that create lasting transformation
• Why asking for help is one of the bravest things you can do
• Living authentically at work and in life
• The power of courage, curiosity, and coaching

Whether you're questioning your career, rebuilding your confidence, or simply wondering what comes next, this episode will remind you that your next chapter can be your most authentic one yet.

Connect with Steven
linkedin.com/in/steven-whyte-6b91811a7

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:30 Energy Check-In
04:10 Growing Up Different in Scotland
12:55 The Diary That Changed Everything
20:40 Finding Community Through Music
22:30 Success vs. Fulfillment
31:45 Why Transformation Isn't About Weight
38:45 Coaches Need Coaches Too
45:30 Identity vs. Career Changes
49:15 Why Midlife Is Actually a New Beginning
55:00 Courage Then vs. Courage Now
58:40 Rapid Fire Questions
1:03:05 Final Advice for Anyone Feeling Stuck
1:04:10 Coach Jon's Closing Thoughts

In this powerful episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Celeste Warren, a visionary leader, consultant, author, and former Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at a global Fortune 100 company.

Celeste brings decades of experience helping organizations create more equitable, inclusive, and human-centered workplaces. She is also the founder of Celeste Warren Consulting LLC, co-founder of Destination STEM Inc., and author of “The Truth About Equity.”

Together, Coach Jon and Celeste explore what equity really means, why performative inclusion is not enough, and how workplaces can create cultures where people feel safe, seen, respected, and able to thrive. Celeste shares her experience being the first and only woman of color in leadership spaces, the impact of masking and covering at work, and the importance of leaders knowing their people beyond job titles.

PODCAST CHAPTERS

00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:22 — Meet Celeste Warren
03:34 — Walking in Purpose and Leaving the Sunday Scaries Behind
05:11 — Being the First and Only in Leadership Spaces
08:54 — Why Representation Alone Is Not Enough
10:31 — Masking, Covering, and the Energy It Takes to Fit In
15:53 — Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity Explained
18:03 — Where Organizations Get Inclusion Wrong
20:12 — What Meaningful ERG Support Can Look Like
24:24 — Creating Safety for LGBTQ+ and Intersectional Professionals
30:45 — Generational Shifts, Values, and the Future of Work
36:21 — Building Experience Beyond Traditional Internships
39:17 — What Leaders Can Do Right Now to Build Trust
42:23 — Celeste’s Book: The Truth About Equity
46:28 — The Rocks and the Fence Analogy
49:47 — Lessons from Celeste’s Father’s Leadership Journey
53:33 — Family Stories, Advocacy, and the Long Arc of Equity
01:00:12 — Rapid Fire Questions
01:03:00 — Celeste’s Final Advice: Stay Relevant, Stay Supportive, Stay in the Fight
01:04:29 — Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

If today’s conversation resonated with you, share this episode with someone who cares about building more inclusive, authentic, and equitable workplaces.

And if you are realizing that you are feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected, under-confident, or unsure about your next career move, I invite you to connect with me here: https://linktr.ee/empoweredandout  

You can follow Celeste, learn more about her consulting work, and check out her book, The Truth About Equity, below.

Website:  www.CRWDiversity.com

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/crwdiversity 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@celestewarren-equity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestewarrenllc/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CXPNHNqZE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Link to book on Amazon:  https://mybook.to/TruthAboutEquity

In this episode of Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, Coach Jon sits down with Ryan DeLuca, Managing Director of 25th Hour Regulatory Consulting, for a powerful conversation about confidence, bias, leadership, allyship, and what it means to navigate professional spaces as an LGBTQ+ person.

Ryan brings nearly 20 years of experience in regulation, investigations, compliance, education, and professional development. His work helps regulatory professionals strengthen investigative practices, reduce bias, improve decision-making, and approach their work with fairness, neutrality, and confidence.

Together, Coach Jon and Ryan explore how LGBTQ+ professionals often become skilled readers of people and environments, especially after years of masking, navigating safety, and learning how to assess where they can fully show up. Ryan shares how confidence grew throughout his career, what helped him trust his own expertise, and why representation matters in industries where LGBTQ+ people are often assumed not to exist.

This episode also dives into workplace bias, meaningful allyship, the current political climate, support for the trans community, and the importance of standing together during difficult moments. Ryan also shares how risk, adventure, and challenge have helped shape his relationship with confidence and growth.

If you have ever felt underestimated, questioned your right to take up space, or wondered how to stay grounded while navigating bias or assumptions, this conversation is for you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Welcome to Empowered & Out
02:24 — Meet Ryan DeLuca
03:00 — Energy check-in
04:11 — Ryan’s path from real estate to regulatory investigations
07:05 — Understanding people, behavior, and bias
09:11 — How LGBTQ+ professionals learn to read environments
11:25 — Navigating professional spaces as an LGBTQ+ investigator
14:52 — Moving from self-consciousness to trusting your expertise
17:18 — Misconceptions about LGBTQ+ professionals in leadership and compliance
20:22 — Visibility, representation, and LGBTQ+ professionals in every industry
24:00 — Advice for anyone feeling underestimated
28:04 — Authenticity, Pride, and showing up at work
32:46 — Where bias shows up in workplace decision-making
36:57 — How professionals can check their own assumptions
38:49 — Why marginalized communities become political targets
43:05 — What meaningful allyship looks like right now
44:56 — Confidence, fear, skydiving, and personal growth
55:36 — How risk and challenge change with age
59:30 — Rapid-fire questions
1:02:40 — Encouragement for LGBTQ+ professionals and leaders
1:03:33 — Final reflections and closing CTA

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to Empowered & Out: The Career Coaching Podcast, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and connect with Coach Jon at Empowered & Out Coaching.

And if you are feeling stuck, burned out, disconnected, under-confident, or unsure about your next career move, the Empowered Career Transformation Program can help you reconnect with your purpose, rebuild confidence, and take aligned action toward a career where you can thrive as your full self.