This week on The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari is joined by one of the most sought-after leadership experts in North America—Steven Gaffney, CEO of The Steven Gaffney Company and author of Unconditional Power.

With 30+ years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies and organizations ranked #1 in their industries, Steven reveals what it actually takes to build consistently high-achieving teams.

They dig deep into:

Plus: why AI is not your enemy in leadership, how to rebuild team norms even after years of dysfunction, and the crossover lessons that can transform not just your team—but your marriage, too.

🎁 BONUS: Listen in to hear how to get a FREE digital copy of Steven’s book Just Be Honest and access his AI-powered leadership tool for building elite teams.

www.StevenGaffney.com 

www.JustBeHonest.com 

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

https://www.instagram.com/stevengaffneydc/ 

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide 

Saying no shouldn't come with guilt — but for high-achievers and people-pleasers, it often does.

Learn how to:

Featuring real coaching insights and Kari’s personal take on the strategies that work best, this episode is for anyone ready to reclaim their time, energy, and power — without being the bad guy.

👉 Listen now and start saying no in ways that align with who you truly are!

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide 

We’ve all heard the phrase: “It’s just business.”

Drawing from over 20 years in business and coaching high-performance leaders, Kari unpacks:

💡 Plus: Real-world stories—from grand openings to firing fears, and even a hard business deal with her father—that reveal the emotional weight behind every major business move.

Key Takeaway:

Perfect for: Founders, CEOs, leaders, and changemakers who want to lead with integrity, clarity, and purpose in the modern business world.

🔗 Don’t forget to subscribe and share with a leader who needs this!

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide 

In this episode of the Empowered Team Podcast, host Kari Schneider welcomes Manny Fiteni, founder of Mind Growth 360 and a leadership transformation expert from Australia. With over 35 years of experience leading teams of up to 300 people, Manny has seen firsthand why most managers fail — and how real leadership is cultivated from the inside out.

Together, they explore:

Whether you're leading a team or leading yourself, this episode delivers hard-earned wisdom, mindset shifts, and frameworks to elevate how you influence others — and grow from the inside out.

🧠 Mentioned in the episode:

🎧 Ready to lead differently? Press play.

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide 

In this solo episode, Kari Schneider, life strategist and host of the Empowered Team Podcast, dives deep into a question every leader faces: Do I need a fresh start… or is it time to let go?

You'll discover:

Whether you're chasing a business goal, personal transformation, or a bold new vision, this episode gives you the tools to reflect, reframe, and recommit.

🎯 If the goal still lights you up — it’s not over. It’s time to start again, but smarter.

Resources: https://psychologycompass.com/blog/reaching-goals/ 

Supporting podcast Episode #123 How to Make Hard Easy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindset-monday-how-to-make-hard-easy/id1439022418?i=1000512171116

In this high-impact solo episode, leadership expert and life strategist Kari Schneider drops a truth bomb: your future isn’t waiting for you—it’s being built right now.

Through the powerful Triple Vision Framework—Now, Next, Far—Kari reveals how presence is your greatest superpower. From endurance races to personal setbacks, she shares raw stories that prove one thing: you can’t reach what’s next until you master what’s now.

You'll discover:

✨ This episode is your reset button.

Master your NOW—and everything else will follow.

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

In this solo episode, host Kari Schneider dives into one of the most overlooked leadership landmines: misaligned definitions of success.

You may think you’re winning, but if your team, partner, or client doesn’t see it that way, you’re headed for disconnection and disappointment.

Kari shares personal stories (including a behind-the-scenes team mishap) and examples from high-level leaders and relationships to show just how sneaky this misalignment can be.

You’ll walk away with a powerful 5-step framework to get crystal clear on success, not just for yourself, but with anyone you collaborate with. Because when everyone defines it together, you actually win together.

In this episode:

🎯 Key takeaway: If you want real success, define it together.

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/team-learn-more

👉 Ready to use AI to support your leadership? Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide 

Is your career path more of a winding road than a clear ladder?

Desiree boldly shares how abruptly leaving her first toxic marketing job (box in hand!) kickstarted an unexpected yet fulfilling 20-year career.

In this compelling episode, you’ll explore:

Desiree also challenges conventional thinking around what it takes to lead effectively today, sharing powerful advice:

“Don’t shrink yourself to make others comfortable.”

If you're ready to leverage your unique path and stand out in a changing professional landscape, this episode is your next step forward!

Episode Highlights:

👉 Connect with Desiree Goldey:

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

In this solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider tackles a challenge every high-performer faces but rarely talks about: chronic stress and burnout.

Are you stuck in survival mode? Feeling like you’ve been powering through for so long that burnout is now your baseline? Kari reveals how chronic stress hijacks your brain, drains your vitality, and derails your decision-making—and most importantly, how to reclaim your energy, clarity, and performance power.

She introduces the 3 R's Framework:

Kari shares personal stories, practical strategies, and brain-based insights that will help you spot the signs of burnout and take back your mental and emotional bandwidth.

This episode is for leaders and high-achievers who are ready to stop coping and start thriving.

🔑 Topics Covered:

🔥 “You’re not broken—your stress is a signal, not a sentence.”

Listen to our T.A.C.K. framework for Stress in episode 311: https://bit.ly/MasteringStress-TheTACKFramework-ETP-iTunes

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

Resources on this topic:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response

https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/effects-of-stress-on-your-body 

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-yerkes-dodson-law-2796027 

https://psychcentral.com/stress/our-brain-on-stress-forgetful-emotional

📚 Special Episode: Chapter Sneak Peek from The Human Algorithm

In this special edition of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider shares a full chapter from her newly released book, The Human Algorithm: Leadership and Ethics in the AI Era, co-authored with Alejandro Dabdoub. This isn't just theory — it's a transformational lens on leadership as AI becomes part of everyday life.

In this episode, Kari reveals:

Whether you're wary of AI or already leveraging it, this episode will challenge, inspire, and empower you to lead with purpose and integrity.

🎧 Listen in and get a glimpse into what’s behind the book!

Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide