Success is rarely achieved alone. Behind every leader is a community of people who encouraged, challenged, and believed in them along the way.

In this episode of the Ideas Love Community Podcast, host Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson welcomes Missy Chicre, CEO of Menttium, for a thoughtful conversation about mentorship, authentic leadership, and the relationships that shape our personal and professional journeys.

Throughout the conversation, Jacquelyn and Missy explore how one meaningful connection can open doors, create opportunities, and inspire people to step into their full potential. Together, they discuss why the best leaders don't simply manage people, they invest in them through mentoring.

Missy shares insights from her years of leading one of the nation's premier mentoring organizations, while Jacquelyn reflects on the people and conversations that have influenced her own journey as an entrepreneur, speaker, and community builder.

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In This Episode, You'll Discover:

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About  Missy Chicre

Missy Chicre is the Chief Executive Officer of Menttium, a woman-owned, woman-led mentoring organization that has helped develop leaders and strengthen organizations for more than three decades.

A passionate advocate for authentic leadership and human-centered workplaces, Missy is committed to creating mentoring experiences that help people grow personally and professionally while strengthening the organizations they serve.

She is especially passionate about advancing women in leadership and supporting working mothers as they navigate both career and family. Named one of Women We Admire's Top 50 Women CEOs of 2025, Missy is a sought-after speaker, LinkedIn Top Mentoring Voice, and trusted voice on leadership, mentoring, and gender equity. Her work has been featured on WCCO | CBS News Minnesota, and her insights on mentoring are highlighted in Alison Fragale's bestselling book Likeable Badass.

Connect with Missy Chicre

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-chicre/

Menttium: https://www.menttium.com/

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If this episode encouraged you, please:

One conversation can change a life.

Maybe this one will.

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Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

Bold dreams require boldness. In this solo episode of the Ideas Love Community Podcast, Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson invites you into an honest conversation about dreaming bigger than your fear.

You’ll hear stories about entrepreneurship, fear, resilience, synchronicity, and why saying your dream out loud creates opportunities you could never create alone.

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In This Episode You'll Discover:

• Why persistence matters more than certainty

• How saying your dream out loud creates unexpected opportunities

• How to recognize moments of alignment and synchronicity

• How community is the bridge between vision and making it real 

• Why caring for yourself is essential if you want to create lasting impact

• Why following your longing is critical if you want to create a meaningful life 

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A Few Ideas to Carry With You:

• "We cannot go after big dreams alone."

• "Persistence is something we actually control."

• "Follow the nudges and longings of your soul."

• "Sometimes the brain is not correct."

• "Tell people what you're doing and ask for help."

• "What is the thing that keeps hounding you?"

• "Something is going to happen."

• "Ideas don't change the world if you don't tell anybody what your dream is."

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Whether you're launching a business, writing a book, stepping onto bigger stages, or simply trying to become more courageous, this episode is a reminder that your biggest, boldest dreams are worth pursuing, even when you don't yet know exactly how they'll come together.

Your next move doesn't require certainty, it asks for a micro move. 

If today's conversation encouraged you, share it with someone who's dreaming big, navigating uncertainty, or simply needs a reminder that they don't have to do it alone.

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Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

If you've ever struggled with talking about your accomplishments or worried that promoting yourself might come across as arrogant, you're not alone.

In this episode of the Ideas Love Community Podcast, Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson welcomes organizational psychologist, UNC professor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author Alison Fragale for an inspiring conversation about confidence, influence, and why self-promotion doesn't have to feel uncomfortable.

Drawing from years of research and her bestselling book Likable Badass, Alison explains the difference between power and status, why relationships matter more than titles, and how anyone can intentionally build a reputation that opens doors.

Together, Jacquelyn and Alison discuss what it means to become visible without losing authenticity and why sharing your expertise is one of the greatest gifts you can offer others.

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In This Episode You'll Learn: 

• How to promote yourself without sounding self-centered

• The difference between power and status, and why it matters

• Why confidence grows through action, not perfection

• Practical ways to increase your visibility and influence

• How generosity and relationships build lasting credibility

• Why authenticity is one of your greatest leadership strengths

• The role storytelling plays in building trust and connection

• How women can confidently advocate for themselves at work and in business

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About Alison Fragale

In each of her roles, Alison Fragale is passionate about empowering people, especially women, to get what they want, at work and in life. Alison applies her academic and corporate expertise in negotiation, power, status and influence to individuals and organizations seeking enhanced effectiveness. Her clients are high-performing organizations and industry groups that understand the importance of empowering their teams with cutting-edge, science-based strategies for success. Alison is a tenured professor of Organizational Behavior and the Mary Farley Ames Lee Fellow at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. Her academic research on negotiation, and the determinants and consequences of power, status, and hierarchy, have been published in her field’s top academic journals. She is also the author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve, which was published by Penguin Random House in September 2024. Prior to her academic career, Alison worked as a consultant for McKinsey and Company, Inc.

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When you learn to share your ideas, experiences, and accomplishments with authenticity, you give others the opportunity to understand the value you bring. Visibility isn't about ego, it's about making it easier for people to connect with your work and the impact you're here to create.

Whether you're building a business, leading a team, growing your speaking career, or simply learning to own your voice, this conversation offers practical wisdom and encouragement to help you step into your influence with confidence.

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

What if the greatest barriers to living a full and meaningful life aren't the ones we can see, but the stories we've been telling ourselves for years?

In this deeply moving episode of the Ideas Love Community Podcast, Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson welcomes leadership coach, speaker, and writer Carrie Heimer for a vulnerable conversation about mental health, resilience, and learning to break free from what Carrie calls being a "prisoner of my mind."

Drawing from her personal journey, Carrie shares how years of anxiety, excessive worry, perfectionism, and the need to keep everyone safe shaped the way she lived and led. Together, she and Jacquelyn explore how naming our experiences, embracing vulnerability, and sharing our stories can become the first steps toward healing.

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In this conversation, you'll discover:

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About Carrie Heimer

Carrie Heimer is a former Chief Human Resources Officer and founder of Elevate Potential LLC, a coaching, consulting, speaking, and community practice dedicated to helping individuals, teams, and organizations lead well, live well, and grow into everything they are meant to be.

For 16 years, Carrie served as CHRO at Red Wing Shoe Company, guiding the organization through transformation, disruption, and two CEO transitions. During her tenure she was publicly open about her own mental health journey, navigating anxiety, depression, and a mental health crisis in the middle of her executive career, because she believed too many people were suffering in silence.

That honesty shaped everything. Her lived experience became the foundation of a leadership philosophy built on a simple conviction: that human-centered cultures are not built from programs and policies, but from leaders who are willing to be honest about their own humanity, and that organizations become more human when their leaders do.

In 2024 she retired from corporate life to care for her mom through a cancer diagnosis, and she continues to share her story in the hope that it helps others feel less alone. Her Substack series Prisoner of My Mind is a chronological unfolding of the fear, the loss, and the years she spent as a prisoner of her own thinking, and the journey to set her free.

Where to find Carrie: 

Substack: https://carrieheimer.substack.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-heimer-49a1459/

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This episode is an invitation to examine the beliefs that may be keeping you stuck and to remember that your story,  especially the difficult parts, has the power to create hope, healing, and connection for someone else.

If you've ever felt trapped by fear, self-doubt, or the expectations you've placed on yourself, this conversation will remind you that freedom begins by telling the truth about where you've been and believing there's hope for where you're going.

Remember, ideas don't change the world alone. Ideas love community. 

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

What happens when losing your job becomes the catalyst for discovering the work you were always meant to do?

In this episode of the Ideas Love Community Podcast, I sit down with leadership expert, keynote speaker, and host of The Heartbeat for Hire Podcast, Lyndsay Dowd, for an honest conversation about authenticity, resilience, and what it really means to lead with heart.

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After spending 25 years in corporate America, Lyndsay found herself at an unexpected crossroads. Instead of seeing it as an ending, she asked herself three powerful questions:

Those questions led her to build a business—and a podcast—that helps leaders create workplaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work.

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Together, we explore:

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About Lyndsay Dowd

Lyndsay Dowd is a Speaker, Founder, Author, Coach, Podcast Host—and unapologetic Disruptor. With nearly 30 years of leadership experience, including 23 at IBM, she’s built and led high-performing teams that consistently delivered results. She also served as a Guest Lecturer at Harvard University, sharing her insights on modern leadership and culture transformation.

As the founder of Heartbeat for Hire, Lyndsay helps companies ditch toxic leadership and build irresistible cultures that drive performance, retention, and impact. She’s been featured in Fortune Magazine, HR.com, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and over 100 podcasts.

Lyndsay is a two-time best selling author of Top Down Culture and Voices of Women, and the host of the globally ranked and 4X awarded Heartbeat for Hire podcast—sitting in the top 2% worldwide. She is also the host of a weekly live show called THE LEADERSHIP LOUNGE. Lyndsay is a frequent speaker, moderator, and guest, known for her candor, humor, and ability to spark action.

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Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or simply navigating your next chapter, this conversation is a reminder that your greatest challenges often become the foundation for your greatest impact.

If you've ever wondered whether your story matters, this episode is your reminder that it does.

Ideas Love Community.

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

What instantly signals "amateur" to a conference designer, literary agent, editor, or speaker bureau?

More importantly…

How do you avoid it?

In this Pep Talk episode of Ideas Love Community, Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson shares a few confessions from her own journey as a writer, speaker, conference designer, and former editor-in-chief.

Including the time she printed a query letter on pink paper, sprayed it with perfume, and mailed it to a major publisher.

From cringe-worthy early mistakes to lessons learned from reviewing thousands of pitches, speaker reels, articles, books, and keynote proposals, Jacquelyn shares what professionals notice immediately—and what actually helps ideas break through.

In this episode:

"Authentic storytelling that comes from the center of you shines brighter than any amateur mistake."

This episode is for:

Every professional started as an amateur. This episode will help you leap-frog over some common mistakes and help you share your voice more powerfully. 

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

What are you hiding?

In this episode of Ideas Love Community, Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson sits down with bestselling author, speaker, and leadership expert Ruth Rathblott for a conversation that will stay with you long after it ends.

For 25 years, Ruth hid her difference from the world. What began as a painful moment on a school bus at age 13 became a decades-long strategy for staying safe, fitting in, and avoiding judgment.

From the outside, she built a successful career as a nonprofit CEO and respected leader.

Inside, she was exhausted.

In this powerful conversation, Ruth shares:

"What if the thing you're hiding is actually your greatest gift?" -Ruth Rathblott

This episode is for anyone who has ever:

Hiding comes with a cost. Are you still willing to pay it? 

About Ruth Rathblott

Ruth is a global speaker, former nonprofit leader, and bestselling author of Singlehandedly: Learning to Unhide and Embrace Connection; and Unhide & Seek: Live Your Best Life. Do Your Best Work. Her TEDx talk When I Stopped Hiding, I Found Freedom has nearly 20,000 views. For more than 25 years, Ruth hid that she has a limb difference. From the outside, she was a successful nonprofit CEO and respected leader. But internally, she was carrying the invisible weight of hiding. When she finally chose to unhide, everything changed. Today Ruth helps leaders and organizations understand the hidden cost of hiding, and the extraordinary power that's unlocked when people feel safe enough to bring their full selves forward.

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If this conversation resonated with you, send it to someone how might need it. Someone who might be ready to stop hiding. 

Because ideas don't change the world alone. 

Ideas Love Community.

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

Have you ever felt a deep longing to say something important—but held yourself back?

In this heartfelt Pep Talk, Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson explores what it means to activate the voice of your soul and why the world needs the message only you can share.

Drawing from her own experiences with bullying, self-doubt, criticism, and visibility fears, Jacquelyn shares how she learned that there is room for every unique voice—and that your message isn't meant for everyone. It's meant for the people who need it most.

Whether you're dreaming of writing a book, stepping onto bigger stages, launching a podcast, sharing your expertise, or finally speaking up about what matters to you, this episode is an invitation to stop waiting for permission and start using your voice.

Because ideas don't change the world alone.

Ideas love community.

• Why the longing to use your voice exists for a reason

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

What if the thing you’re searching for is already sitting beneath you?

In this deeply honest and wildly energizing conversation, burnout expert, keynote speaker, and host of Fried: The Burnout Podcast, Cait Donovan joins Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson for a conversation about visibility, burnout, fear, community, and what it really takes to share your voice in a bigger way. 

Together, they unpack:

-Why your ideas need space to breathe

Cait shares powerful stories about leaving her acupuncture career, building a global thought leadership platform, navigating uncertainty as a professional keynote speaker, and discovering that the only real question is:

“Is this bringing me closer to match… or closer to mismatch?”

This episode is a permission slip for anyone who knows they have something important to say — but keeps waiting for the perfect moment to begin.

Spoiler alert:

You already have a stage.

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.  

She was at a conference surrounded by experts in healing.

And suddenly…

She couldn’t focus.

The sounds in the room swelled around her.

The lights burned her eyes.

And suddenly she knew she couldn't pretend she was okay anymore.

So she said four words:

“I’m not okay.”

And everything changed.

In this story, you'll hear a story by Robyn Scherr, Diplomate-certified in CranioSacral Therapy and Certified Master Practitioner and Presenter for the Healing From the Core curriculum. And a conversation with host Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson that explores:

-Panic attacks and nervous system overwhelm

-Why asking for help feels so hard

-Childhood experiences that shape self-reliance

-The difference between looking okay and actually being okay

-Healing through connection and safe relationships

-The sacred power of storyIf this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and send it to someone who needs to find their voice. Because ideas don’t change the world alone. Ideas Love Community.

Ready to be HUGE?

I coach extraordinary voices. 

I can help you find your mission and message, build your thought-leadership platform, and launch your voice into the world. 

I earned the nickname "speaker whisperer" as a conference designer so I created a whole new event to help you get in front of the trail angels who can open doors to bigger stages and broader impact at the Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest. The Gathering includes information and inspiration on public speaking and getting seen and a pitch fest...(think Shark Tank!) Come for the learning or raise your hand to pitch the head of all TED conferences, literary and speaker agents, entertainment execs, and more. 

Follow me on LinkedIn. 

Sign up for my newsletter. 

Apply for coaching. 

Get on the waitlist for the next Gateway Gathering & Pitch Fest.