FINE is a 4-Letter Word

Holiday solo episode today. On what might be a controversial topic, but what the hell. LFG!

It’s no secret that this girl loves shopping. I inherited this love from my grandmothers. The small state I grew up in has at least 12 major shopping malls. It’s a challenge right now to not get sucked into all the Black Friday sales. Although my favorite protein powder is 30% off and I can’t guarantee some new leggings won’t end up in my shopping cart.

All this to say it’s no surprise that when my two besties from high school and I get together for girls’ weekends, we go shopping.

No matter what city or town we’re exploring, we tend to find ourselves in those cute home décor or specialty kinds of stores. You know the ones with mugs and glassware and candles and soaps and locally packaged food items. And there’s something I’ve noticed in recent years. The more I’ve thought about it, the more it disturbs me.

It’s the dish towels that say “They should put more wine in the bottle. So there’s enough for two people.” Or “Wine, because adulting is hard.”

And the coasters that scream “I’m one glass away from a good mood.”

It seems we live in a culture that promotes drinking as a way to have a good time or wash away all your negative emotions. “Everything’s just fine! Have some wine.” I haven’t seen that one yet, but maybe it’s out there.

Stay with me here because this episode is not about shaming you if you enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail. I’m here to have a chat about how we’ve seemed to normalize drinking as a coping mechanism. And how it’s entirely built into the way we socialize.

Since we’re right in the thick of the holidays now, I thought it would be interesting to look at this concept and ask, is it fine or not fine? Maybe it’s simply about becoming more aware of this social habit and giving yourself the opportunity to evaluate your participation in it.

Thanks for spending part of your holiday with me. Wishing you all the feelings of joy, love, belonging, and gratitude, my friend.

Invitation from Lori: 

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Listen, we all know that work emails from leadership and all staff meetings can feel…a little bit impersonal. How do you make work feel a little more human?

Leaders who are serious about building real trust with their team are finding more modern and effective ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through insightful stories, personalized conversations, and the information you ACTUALLY want to hear that helps you move your career and company forward. Think of it as a way to your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Christopher Bylone grew up on a New Jersey family farm where no one was above mucking stalls, and lending a hand wasn’t optional. His grandfather, decades ahead of his time, taught him that inclusion wasn’t a corporate policy; it was just what decent people did.

Those lessons stuck. They carried Christopher from agriculture to analytics to becoming a respected voice in diversity, equity, and inclusion. When his company’s diversity metrics stalled, he spoke up, “We have no strategy.” That bold truth redirected his entire career toward DEI leadership. He went on to build a team from zero headcount and zero budget into a million-dollar operation. On paper, he was thriving. But inside? He was the four letter “fine.”

Working at Krispy Kreme, he loved the mission but dreaded the grind. Seventy-five percent of his time was spent executing instead of shaping strategy. Then came the layoff. And with it, the uncomfortable truth that “fine” had become his hiding place.

That pattern didn’t stop at work. After years of insisting he could lose weight on his own, Christopher realized grit wasn’t enough. Well-meaning people told him to “just diet harder,” but he made a different choice and underwent bariatric surgery. It was a turning point that forced him to evaluate not only his habits but his relationships as well.

Now, 90 pounds lighter with 30 left to go, he’s learned that accepting help isn’t weakness: it’s wisdom. The people you surround yourself with can either hold space for your growth or keep you stuck in the old story. As a lifelong gardener, he’ll tell you not everything that looks like a weed needs to be pulled. Sometimes, it just needs to be moved.

Through therapy, reflection, and better boundaries, Christopher discovered that true friends don’t have to agree with your decisions but they do have to respect them enough not to stand in your way.

Christopher’s hype song is “Proud” by Heather Small.

Resources:

• Christopher Bylone’s website: https://www.innovationunbiased.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbylone/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbylone/
• Listen to Christopher’s podcast I Know I Belong When: https://www.iknowibelongwhen.com/

Invitation from Lori:

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit. Smart leaders know trust is the backbone of a thriving workplace, and in today’s hybrid whirlwind, it doesn’t grow from quarterly updates or the occasional Slack ping. It grows from steady, human communication.

Plenty of companies think they’re doing great because they host all-staff meetings, keep “open door” policies, and throw the occasional team-building event. Meanwhile, leaders who truly care about culture are choosing better tools.

That’s where I come in. Forward-thinking organizations bring me in to create internal podcasts that connect people through real stories, honest conversations, and genuine community—your old printed newsletter reinvented for the way people actually work now.

If you run, work for, or know a company ready to upgrade communication and strengthen culture, reach out at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage. When they engage, they perform. And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

What happens when a basketball star loses everything from his NBA dream, his identity, and even his beloved coaching job at his alma mater?

In today’s episode of "Fine is a 4-Letter Word," you get to meet Coach Matt Doherty, who opens up about the masks we wear, the power of vulnerability, and why saying "I'm fine" can be the most dangerous lie we tell ourselves.

Coach Doherty grew up on Long Island with dreams of basketball greatness. He achieved remarkable success as a three-year starter at the University of North Carolina under legendary coach Dean Smith. But his NBA dreams were cut short, leading him to Wall Street during the decade of greed where he began self-medicating with alcohol.

After building a successful coaching career that culminated in his dream job as head coach at UNC, Matt's world came crashing down when he was fired after just three years in a very public manner. This devastating blow, combined with his struggle with alcoholism, forced him into a period of deep self-reflection and transformation. The turning point came through discovering emotional intelligence and the power of vulnerability, leading him to remove what he calls his three masks: the "tough guy mask," the "smart guy mask," and the "I got my shit together mask."

Today, Matt is an executive coach using his hard-earned wisdom to help leaders avoid the landmines he stepped on during his own leadership journey. Through his work with peer advisory groups and his book "Rebound: From Pain to Passion," Matt demonstrates that true strength comes from exposing your struggles to the light instead of hiding them.

Get ready to hear about the morning routine that changed his life, why he believes vulnerability is the new invincibility, and the surprising origin of the word "coach." Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or just trying to get out of bed some mornings, this episode will challenge you to take off your masks and step into who you're meant to be.

Matt’s hype song is Ramble On by Led Zeppelin

Resources:

• Coach Matt Doherty’s websites: https://coachmattdoherty.com/ and https://dohertycoaching.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmattdoherty/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachmattdoherty/
• Claim your copy of “Rebound: From Pain to Passion” at https://dohertycoaching.com/books/

Invitation from Lori:

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands meeting and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage. When they engage, they perform. And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

Fine is a 4-Letter Word is all about those moments when “fine” is just the mask we wear before life gives us a loud wake-up call.

For Massimo Backus, that wake-up call came wrapped in a leadership 360 evaluation that painted a picture he didn’t recognize. The team he thought he was inspiring and supporting saw someone defensive, unsafe to approach, even a bully. Gut punch, right?

Raised by creative, supportive parents who met in a woodworking class over a three-legged chair, Massimo learned the values of creativity, acceptance, and generosity that would later guide his unconventional career path. He also carried the invisible weight of childhood dyslexia and a lifelong habit of needing to prove himself. That pattern followed him into adulthood and eventually showed up in how he led others.

His relentless pursuit of purpose-driven work eventually led him to a prestigious position as global head of leadership development for a large international consulting firm, where he thought he had finally “made it.” However, that 360-degree feedback assessment came as an unexpected wake-up call.

Massimo first tried to “fix” himself on his own. It wasn’t until he surrendered control and attended the Hoffman Process, a weeklong retreat, that he uncovered the real saboteur: his own inner critic.

Through self-compassion, Massimo finally found the power to stop performing and start being. Listen as we unpack his journey from overactive inner critic to radical freedom.

Massimo’s hype song is Dance Yrself Clean by LCD Sound System

Resources:

• InKind Leaders Website: https://www.inkindleaders.com/
• Massimo’s Personal Website: https://massimobackus.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/massimo-backus/
• Claim your copy of: “Human First, Leader Second” book

Invitation from Lori: 

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands meeting and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage.

When they engage, they perform.

And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

Hey high achiever, what if the only way to save your life… was to finally stop doing all the things and learn how to be?

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Fine is a 4-Letter Word, we sit down with Karen Brown, a global leader, poet, and mentor who has lived and worked in nearly 90 countries—and once wore her “busyness” like a badge of honor. I know you can relate to that.

Raised in Jamaica on the values of personal identity, learning, and service, Karen built her life around helping others. But when decades of stress and 18-hour workdays landed her in the emergency room, she was forced to face a painful truth: the woman who’d mastered productivity had forgotten how to pause.

What followed was a journey of rediscovering the power of silence. Because for Karen, silence wasn’t just absence of noise; silence was painful and jarring. It was a void she tended to fill with constant learning and doing. Over time, though, she learned to sit with silence, to let it restore her body, calm her mind, and reconnect her to herself.

That transformation didn’t just heal her—it deepened the way she serves others.

Now, Karen changes lives through the simplest of acts: truly seeing people. Whether mentoring a young professional, writing letters to hotel staff around the world, or stopping a stranger just to say, “You are seen,” Karen reminds us how small moments of kindness can heal invisible wounds and ripple outward into the world.

But here’s the question that lingers: when silence finally knocked on her door… what truth did it whisper that changed everything?

Tune in to find out how Karen turned stillness into strength—and how you can, too.

Karen’s hype song is "We Pray" by Coldplay.

Resources:

• Karen Brown’s website: https://bridgearrow.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bridge-arrow/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgeArrow/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoeKJ8Bnc_POr-IidXaNAFg

Invitation from Lori: 

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands meeting and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage.

When they engage, they perform.

And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

So let’s have our sit-down with Karen. I’ve been looking forward to this, especially a story she reveals near the end where she transformed people’s careers simply by writing letters!

Stop and ponder for a moment.

Is it possible that everything you thought was keeping you “safe” was actually keeping you small?

We often look to resolve our issues through self-help books, seminars, and courses. But if they really worked, we’d all be perfectly fit, deliriously happy, worry-free millionaires! No, we need to dig deeper.

Angie Tumlinson’s story is a roadmap on how to find that higher level of fulfullment.

She grew up with the values of hard work, perfectionism, and fear-driven faith—beliefs that shaped, then nearly broke, her life. From running a booming church to walking away from it all, from building businesses out of sheer grit (and $27 in her pocket) to discovering the power of belief and imagination, Angie’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and radical self-discovery.

Then came the devastating losses of both parents, the identity crisis that followed, and the unexpected mentor (a name you might know!) who appeared just when she needed him most. Along the way, Angie learned the difference between “need” and “want,” how to let go of old paradigms, and why most of us are terrified to admit what we truly desire.

When Angie finally allowed herself to envision the life she really wanted, something extraordinary happened—her income multiplied tenfold, her relationships transformed, and her voice grew stronger than ever.

So how did she go from exhausted pastor’s wife and overworked business owner to creating abundance, freedom, and authenticity on her own terms? And what powerful lesson did she learn about love, control, and partnership that changed her marriage forever?

Tune in and find out…

Angie’s hype song is “Can't Stop The Feeling” by Justin Timberlake.

Resources:

• Angie Tumlinson’s website: https://www.elevateyouinstitute.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angietumlinsoncoach
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angietumlinson
• Watch Angie’s webinar, “Go For It”, and discover priceless insights that help you start living the life you dream about at https://www.elevateyouinstitute.com/go-for-it

Invitation from Lori: 

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands meeting and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage.

When they engage, they perform.

And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

So, let’s bring Angie on. I, like you, can’t want to hear this story!

Welcome to a new season of Fine is a 4-Letter Word. I’m excited for today’s guest because there is no better time for you to meet someone who embodies what it means to live boldly, build with purpose, and refuse to accept “fine” as a final answer.

Dr. Kimberly McGlonn spent 18 years as a high school teacher, a job she loved thoroughly. She could have stayed there and finished up an amazing career. But she realized she was only reaching about 100 people a year. And she wanted to reach thousands.

So Kimberly took a sabbatical and traveled to East Africa where she dove deep into creativity. She came back with a mission of starting a new breed of fashion design company she called Grant Boulevard.

The first Black woman-owned B Corp in the U.S. fashion industry, her design firm aligned with a value she learned in childhood of combating disenfranchisement. Going way beyond creating eye-grabbing blouses and fashion tastemaking, this brand was interested in sustainable materiality. Focused on supply chain and procurement and climate action, but also very interested in not separating climate action from the need to take care of workers. They recruited women in the Philadelphia area whose lives had been impacted by the criminal justice system to sew the clothing, creating empowerment and opportunity.

We’re connecting with Kimberly just at the point where she sunsetted Grant Boulevard and is bringing to life another design company – Black Ivory Thrift. And she has taken the powerful step of writing a book to exponentially share her message of sustainability, service, and advancing the common good.

So far, we’ve only scratched the surface. Over the next 30 minutes, you’re about to discover Kimberly’s fascinating story which goes into so many more areas as well!

Kimberly’s hype song is “New Day” by Alicia Keys

Resources:

• Dr. Kimberly McGlonn’s website: https://www.drkimberlymcglonn.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkimberlymcglonn/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlymcglonn/ Claim your copy of “Build It Boldly” in audiobook, paperback, and e-book format by visiting the links at https://linktr.ee/builditboldly

Invitation from Lori: 

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands meeting and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage.

When they engage, they perform.

And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

Now, let’s head over to meet Kimberly. She’s out in her yard bird-watching! As I said, this intro just scratched the surface.

By the time you see this episode, I’ll be in Tanzania, petting lions and riding zebras.

(Ok, I KNOW, that’s not likely to happen, but I wish it could!)

This week marks a lot of milestones.

It’s the one-year anniversary of my father’s passing, and part of my reason for visiting Tanzania is to honor his memory and express gratitude for making sure he left behind the funding I’d need for the trip.

It’s also the 200th episode of Fine is a 4-Letter Word – and as I was doing my last-minute packing and thinking about what I’d share, what immediately came to mind are the many valuable friendships and connections I’ve made through interviewing our amazing guests, working with our production team, and having the chance to dialogue with you – the listener – about what we share here.

Thus the topic of this very short (just 12 minutes and 50 seconds) episode, which is all about valuing yourself equally in friendships.

I’ve been around long enough to see friendships come and go – and stay – and am convinced of the validity of the saying “Some are for a season, some are for a lesson, and some are for life.”

In today’s episode, YOU are the subject.

When you tune in now, you’ll discover a simple but powerful blueprint that helps you determine which of your friendships serve you equally with the other person, which don’t, what you may be able to do to correct it, and what happens if you can’t.

At the very end, I have two very short “asks” of you – one is about the podcast, and one is about the status of your friendships.

I only ask if you could please give each one of them their due – it will take but a couple minutes – because the benefits you gain may astound you.

Lori’s hype song as she records this special episode is “Raise Your Glass” by Pink.

Resources:

• My Website: https://ZenRabbit.com/    
• LinkedIn: https://zenrabbit.com/linkedin/
• Facebook: https://zenrabbit.com/facebook/
• Instagram: https://zenrabbit.com/instagram/
• Visit the “FINE is a 4-Letter Word” store at https://zenrabbit.printful.me

Invitation from Lori:

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal/private podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage.

When they engage, they perform.

And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

Now, let’s get started!  

If you’re having difficulty finding what you’re looking for in life, have you thought about looking in a completely different place? One that might require walking away from what you have?

Of course you can say that’s a lot easier said than done, especially if it feels like there’s not a whole lot out there for you.

For Shaun Murphy, known internationally as Mister Motivation, the idea of staying in place, settling, and subsisting never really worked for him. Fine is a 4-Letter Word, and at every step of the way, standing still has never been “fine” for him.

His father was murdered when he was six years old. His mother, an immigrant from Barbados, was poverty-stricken yet resourceful and would go through walls to make sure the family had enough – not much, for sure, but enough – with about $100 per month to spare. And yet, if she was down to her last $20 and met a starving stranger on the street, she’d buy them a good meal. So showing up, working hard without complaining, staying grounded in service, and helping other people – these were the core values the experience imprinted on Shaun.

After high school, he briefly went to college then dropped out to serve in the military for eight years. But when he got out, he discovered three unpleasant truths.

One, there is not nearly enough support for military servicepeople transitioning to civilian life. Two, after eight years of active duty and living well, all of a sudden he was back to not knowing for sure where his next meal would come from. And third, he found that as a man in his community, a man just couldn’t talk about it when things aren’t fine. Even if his buddies gave him an understanding ear in the moment, they might embarrass him over it a few weeks down the road. And women would see him as soft.

Shaun’s next job was working in the mailroom at NYU, where he learned a priceless lesson I’ll let him tell you about. Next it was off to Iraq, working as a combat civilian working the postal mission. And then he was introduced to Teach for America and realized this was his calling. By now, he had a good-paying steady job and career prospects. “Impact over income”, Shaun tells us – so he got the degree he needed and took a huge pay cut for the opportunity to spread wealth into the lives of others.

Fast-forward a bit, and Shaun found himself a former college dropout who had become a college professor teaching college students how to succeed in college.

There’s so much more to this story, as I’m going to let Shaun tell you in his own words. Now, he’s an accomplished motivational speaker, musician, author – and sports team owner. I can’t wait to share.

Shaun’s hype song is "The Bunker" by Mister Motivation.

Resources:

• Shaun Murphy’s website: https://mister-motivation.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmurphy1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misterm0tivati0n
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misterm0tivati0n/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mistermotivation492
• Claim your copy of Shaun Murphy's book, Unbreakable Valor: Triumph Through the Soul of Resilience.

Invitation from Lori:

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands meeting and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage.

When they engage, they perform.

And when they perform, the business succeeds beyond projections.

Now that we’ve talked a little business, let’s bring Shaun Murphy onto the stage. Get ready to tap into an area of your brain where childlike states of enthusiasm meet adult aspirations to greatness!

A lot of companies use positive-sounding cliches like “people over profit” and “work-life balance”. This sounds good, until somebody pulls the sales reports and says “we need more revenue and profits”. Then, the bottom line becomes the bottom line. This is sometimes served with a side of “you come to work to do work, change the world on your own time”.

Now, picture a model where putting people over profit actually increases profits. Where work-life balance is not measured using number of hours worked or percentage of time in the office vs. working remotely. Being involved with a company that breaks the rules and norms for its industry, where coming to work to do work means doing your part to change the world.

Christian Agulles has created all of these things in an industry known for squeezing its engineers like getting that last drop out of the toothpaste tube.

Born and raised in College Point, a little town in Queens, Christian was a devout Catholic who went to church, went to Catholic school, and had the whole Catholic experience that, as he describes it, formed him and scarred him at the same time. His father, a police officer, was shot in the line of duty when Christian was seven. Even being able to retire on three-quarters pension, that money didn’t go far supporting a family including Christian and his two younger brothers. His mother went to work in the school cafeteria so she could align her schedule with her sons, and cleaned houses on weekends. By example, she taught Christian to not be afraid to do hard things and to do them with grace.

While starting his family, Christian spent the first 20 years of his career with an engineering firm that moved him around the country to open new offices. But over those 20 years, his employer was repeatedly acquired and evolved into company that focused more on acquisition, revenue, and EBIDA. It was right around this time he was recruited to join PAE. Everything worked out fine, yes? Well, Fine is a 4-Letter Word.

Did his moment of realization come from a coaching session at PAE with Sandy Lindstrom, known for the “polishing the diamond” principle, where he found out they did not feel he was very good at delivering feedback?

Was it discovering that his foundational values around doing hard work with grace could be merged with volunteerism, altruism, and contribution?

In a moment, when I bring Christian on, he’s going to guide us through his experience leading a Certified B-Corporation and how he’s taken one of their metrics – utilization – and redefined it to build PAE into a company that has a net positive impact not only on its employees, but on society as a whole. If, up until now, you’ve seen your best-laid plans get trumped by “the bottom line” when bills are due, this could be what you need to hear.

Christian’s hype songs are "Bring It On Home To Me" by Sam Cooke and "Right to Be Wrong" by Joss Stone.

Resources:

• Christian Agulles’ website: https://www.pae-engineers.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-j-agulles/

Invitation from Lori:

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

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Now, let’s head over to meet Christian. As you’ll see when we go through, this comes with a lot of “two-fers” that could double the value of your time hanging out with us!