Ambiguity is unavoidable in modern workplaces, but great leaders know how to turn uncertainty into opportunity. In this episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we welcome Mike Ott, CEO of MOBĒ, former President of Wealth Management at U.S. Bank, and retired U.S. Air Force officer. With decades of leadership experience across the military and corporate America, Mike shares how he navigates chaos, builds trust in high-stakes environments, and creates cultures where integrity comes first.

Whether you’re managing through economic volatility, transitioning careers, or leading teams through organizational change, this conversation will help you build resilience and confidence in the face of uncertainty.

▶️ Leading Through Ambiguity & Building Trust in Uncertainty with Mike Ott:

• [03:18] Mike’s career journey and influence
• [10:57] How to navigate ambiguity and thrive in chaos
• [16:46] Why transparency and consistency define trust in leadership
• [21:33] Rachel’s White House experience on veteran employment and ambiguity
• [24:28] Overcoming jargon and translation gaps in workplaces
• [30:47] Navigating career transitions and mentoring future leaders
• [41:41] Transforming culture at MOBĒ
• [44:03] Why calling out change openly is essential for trust

Resources:

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Leading Through Ambiguity & Building Trust in Uncertainty with Mike Ott:

“If your team sees somebody who is erratic, dysfunctional, angry, and just unpredictable when times are tough versus when times are good, they don't know what to expect and they're always going to feel like they were snuck up on.” - Mike Ott

“Find the right environment where you think your flow is going to move things so that you can drive results that are aligned with your character and the organization.” - Mike Ott

Connect with Mike Ott:

📱 Follow Mike Ott on LinkedIn.

💻 Check out Mike Ott’s website.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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In today’s episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we welcome Dean Indot  - a seasoned commercial banker, entrepreneur, and the co-creator of the viral Alexis and Dean financial literacy channel, with over 2.2 million followers. 

Dean’s journey is anything but linear: from Wall Street to tech startups, through the turbulence of the dot-com crash and the 2008 financial crisis, to now leading teams at Western Alliance Bank, he’s lived through - and led through - some of the toughest challenges business professionals face. Dean’s career spans decades in finance, tech, and leadership, giving him a rare perspective on what it takes to stay relevant, resilient, and trusted in fast-changing environments. 

▶️ From Banker to Influencer: Career Growth, Leadership & Financial Literacy with Dean Indot:

• [03:13] Dean’s unconventional career path: Merrill Lynch, startups, and finding his way into commercial banking
• [07:05] Surviving the dot-com bubble and the 2008 financial crisis
• [10:39] The viral rise of Alexis & Dean: explaining banking crises to millions
• [17:20] Interest rates, housing, and M&A activity - Dean’s no-nonsense take
• [25:28] Making financial literacy engaging and approachable
• [28:28] Managing haters and handling authenticity
• [35:03] Leadership lessons: shifting from rainmaker to team leader
• [40:39] Lightning round: best leader and proudest achievement

Resources:

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from From Banker to Influencer: Career Growth, Leadership & Financial Literacy with Dean Indot:

“I seek out ways to get things done rather than just go up my reporting chain and complain.” - Dean Indot

“Rather than focusing on what your experience was, let's find an objective way to fix this problem and let's move on.” - Dean Indot

Connect with Dean Indot:

📱 Follow Dean Indot on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Alexis and Dean on TikTok and Instagram.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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What happens when you leave behind the tight-knit, mission-focused world of military service and step into the uncharted territory of corporate America? In this episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we sit down with special guest Berkley Brown, an Army veteran turned contracts administrator at Northrop Grumman, to explore the transition from military leadership to corporate America.

Berkley shares her candid story of leaving the Army after four years of service, confronting the loss of camaraderie, and finding her footing in the high-stakes world of defense contracting. With refreshing honesty, she opens up about managing stress and creating balance in demanding environments.

▶️ Transitioning from Military Leadership to Corporate America with Berkley Brown:

• [04:41] Berkley’s journey from college to the military
• [06:37] Leaving the “cocoon” of military service for a civilian career path
• [11:06] The struggles of transitioning out of military service
• [18:01] The difference between military leadership and civilian leadership
• [21:14] Managing stress in mission-critical environments
• [27:10] Understanding expectations in corporate roles
• [32:30] Work-life balance and setting boundaries
• [44:27] Lightning Round: leadership moments in the Army and in corporate life

Resources:

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Transitioning from Military Leadership to Corporate Success with Berkley Brown:

“ Trust but verify. You can trust people to have a plan, but you should verify it.” - Berkley Brown

“On the civilian side, [...] work is important, but it's not everyone's primary focus. They have families that they take care of. There's a life outside of work.” - Berkley Brown

Connect with Berkley Brown:

📱 Follow Berkley Brown on LinkedIn.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms

In this special guest episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we welcome an incredible guest, Donna Cranston—the Founder and Executive Director of Defenders of Freedom, a nonprofit that's saving veterans' lives and assisting them in their transition to civilian life.

 Donna shares with us her inspiring journey of leadership and giving. We learn valuable leadership lessons that go beyond numbers and spreadsheets—and focus on true impact. You'll hear about the challenges and the solutions Donna found along the way to do good and enable others to do good themselves.  

Tune in for a moving episode about work that truly matters and leading with a courageous heart.

▶️ Saving Veterans' Lives by Leading with a Courageous Heart with Donna Cranston:

• [03:15] Donna's journey of helping Veterans in any way she could
• [16:01] How Donna ended up founding the Defenders of Freedom
• [21:37] Donna's experience learning how to run a nonprofit
• [23:51] 2 things that will allow you to handle any crisis or cause 
• [28:06] The challenge of getting the right people on the board
• [33:00] The decision to transition into treating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• [45:10] A lesson in courageousness and curiosity
• [48:06] Focusing on helping each individual instead of on the numbers
• [52:38] Leading from the front with a courageous heart

Resources:

Learn more about the cause and help save veterans' lives today. Go to defendersoffreedom.us 

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Saving Veterans' Lives by Leading with a Courageous Heart with Donna Cranston:

“ I realized that most people support our troops, they just didn't know how to do it. So, I started Defenders of Freedom really as an avenue to connect the community to our troops and let everyone have a piece in being able to say thank you to our troops.” - Donna Cranston

"I always say all the mistakes I made, it didn't matter because it was all coming from my heart of gratitude for what they were doing for our country." - Dona Cranston

Connect with Donna Cranston:

📱 Follow Donna Cranston on LinkedIn.

💻 Check out Donna Cranston's website.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms

In this guest episode, we welcome Amy Philbrook, Executive Vice President and Head of Service at LPL Financial. From navigating layoffs to leveraging AI, we explore practical strategies to future-proof our relevance in the workplace, empower leaders and employees, and lead through uncertainty, with  curiosity, courage, and kindness.

Throughout her career, Amy has spent time building businesses, running revenue, service, and operations organizations, and also in HR. What Amy brings to the table reflects the point of view of employees, middle management, and leaders from across the organization.

▶️ Future-Proof Your Relevance in Today's Fast-Changing Workplace with Amy Philbrook:

• [03:16] Meet the velvet hammer, Amy Philbrook
• [07:28] A different way to think about layoffs
• [11:08] Navigating capacity pinch points
• [13:50] How leaders can prepare their workforce for the future
• [19:44]  How AI will transform the role of middle management
• [25:51] The power of curiosity in surviving a changing workplace
• [29:27] A simple hack to  future-proof your relevance
• [36:37] A broader view of HR and its role in the business
• [40:40] Lightning Round: Favorite leader, book recommendations, proudest accomplishment

Resources:

Check out Sahil Bloom's newsletter, the Curiosity Chronicle.

Watch our favorite Ted Lasso scene here.

The two books every leader should read: Principles by Ray Dalio and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Future-Proof Your Relevance in Today's Fast-Changing Workplace with Amy Philbrook:

“ The role of a leader is the role of a learner, I think today at every level, in every company.” - Amy Philbrook

“ You will not survive if you are intellectually lazy. If the value you create can be replicated by a machine learning model in an app, then you are no longer relevant or of value. But if you can use the capacity that model frees up to be insanely curious, that's where you're gonna uncover hidden value.” - Amy Philbrook

Connect with Amy Philbrook:

📱 Follow Amy Philbrook on LinkedIn.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms

In this special guest episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we sit down with former college football star and sales leader turned entrepreneur, Adam Gunn. From overcoming a career-ending injury to building a career at Stryker and launching a company in the fast-evolving NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) space, Adam’s story is one of grit, purpose, and people-centered leadership.

Adam shares how athletes bring unique and transferable strengths to the business world, and how leaders can tap into these talents to build stronger, more diverse teams. Whether you're a hiring manager, former athlete, or just curious about how leadership shows up across industries, this episode is packed with insight.

▶️ From the Football Field to the Boardroom: Hiring Diverse Talent from Untapped Pipelines with Adam Gunn:

• [03:26] Meet Adam Gunn: former athlete, sales leader, and NIL entrepreneur
• [06:51] What is NIL and how is it changing college athletics?
• [11:16] Transferable skills from sales to entrepreneurship
• [13:02] The complexity of NIL
• [15:21] Why athletes make exceptional team members
• [23:33] The transfer portal and its implications for athlete development
• [27:58] Hiring diverse talent from untapped pipelines
• [30:10] Inside Stryker’s values and leadership culture
• [33:53] How Adam broke into medical sales as a student-athlete
• [36:24] Lightning Round: Best leader, proudest achievement, biggest lesson

Resources:

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from From the Football Field to the Boardroom: Hiring Diverse Talent from Untapped Pipelines with Adam Gunn:

“If it's solely on one individual or a group of people that all think, look, and feel the same way, you're going to be very single-sided and limited in terms of your ideas, your innovation, and all the thoughts, decisions, and solutions that are driven from your company.” - Adam Gunn

“ You can't be average as an athlete. If you're average, you're going to sit the bench. You have to be extraordinary, and that translates perfectly into the work world, where they push themselves to learn more, to be better, and to take in everything they possibly can to be the best version of themselves.” - Adam Gunn

Connect with Adam Gunn:

📱 Follow Adam Gunn on LinkedIn.

💻 Check out Adam Gunn’s website.

📧 Send Adam Gunn an email.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms

In this special guest episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we’re joined by Steve Davis, co-founder of My Next Stage, a platform built to help experienced professionals thrive in a changing workforce.

Together, we unpack a critical and under-discussed issue: ageism in the workplace - its often unintentional nature, how it's built into systems, and what we can all do about it.

Steve shares wisdom from his career in recruiting and talent strategy at major firms, including Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, and Broadridge, and reflects on the persistent misconceptions around older workers’ adaptability, cost, and leadership potential.

▶️ Ageism in Hiring & the Future of Experienced Workers:

• [03:26] Meet strategic talent acquisition leader Steve Davis
• [06:16] The systemic challenges experienced professionals face
• [09:31] Contributing factors to unintentional age bias
• [13:58] Resume tactics and interview pitfalls for older job seekers
• [17:11] The workforce is aging fast – what the numbers tell us
• [20:51] Tactics older professionals can use to stay competitive
• [25:11] Rethinking employment models
• [29:39] How assumptions about runway and retirement limit hiring
• [33:18] Lightning Round: Favorite leader, biggest mistake, top achievement
• [40:39] Takeaways for both job seekers and business leaders

Resources:

E26: Career Ladder vs. Career Lattice: The Value of Experiential Learning

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Ageism in Hiring & the Future of Experienced Workers with Steve Davis:

“ A lot of people are asking the same question: how do I make my experience matter in a world that seems to value youth and learning agility?” - Steve Davis

“ Ageism is everywhere. Around 90% of workers over 40 say that they've experienced ageism in the workplace.” - Steve Davis

Connect with Steve Davis:

📱 Follow Steve Davis on LinkedIn.

💻 Check out Steve Davis’s website.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we’re joined by Olivia Cream - former Coast Guard, corporate HR executive, and now a thriving entrepreneur. Olivia shares hard-earned lessons from her time in uniform, her leadership journey through corporate America, and her bold pivot to coaching and fractional HR consulting.

This episode dives deep into the power of values-driven leadership, the unspoken dynamics of female rivalry in leadership, and what it really means to be an HR co-pilot instead of an order taker. Olivia gets real about ethical dilemmas, calling out wrongdoing, and why leadership is never about you.

If you’re navigating corporate politics, looking to grow your leadership identity, or wondering what good HR support should actually look like, this one’s for you.

▶️ Leading with Integrity: Courage, Culture & the Real Role of HR with Olivia Cream:

• [01:56] Meet Olivia Cream: Engineer, Coast Guard vet, corporate exec turned entrepreneur
• [05:24] Leadership lessons from the Coast Guard
• [08:35] How to respond to ethical challenges as a leader
• [14:11] Good vs. bad leadership - what you can learn from both
• [18:04] The complicated truth about female leaders in power
• [21:39] Healing from toxic leadership & building resilience
• [27:34] Olivia’s career pivot into HR
• [31:56] What real HR partnership looks like: metrics, strategy, and people
• [35:34] Lightning Round: controversial opinions, favorite leaders, must-read books

Resources:

My Sister’s Shoulders

E12: Tips for HR Professionals and Business Leaders to Foster Better Collaboration

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Leading with Integrity: Courage, Culture & the Real Role of HR with Olivia Cream:

“ There are HR leaders that are now becoming CEOs of businesses. That is how deep you have to understand your business to be an effective HR leader.” - Olivia Cream

“ You have to figure out what kind of leader you want to be. And you have to stand by those principles.” - Olivia Cream

Connect with Olivia:

📱 Follow Olivia Cream on LinkedIn.

💻 Check out Olivia Cream’s website.

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we open up about pivotal mistakes that nearly derailed our careers and the transformative lessons we learned in the process. From unchecked ego to over-compartmentalizing your identity at work, we explore how ambition, pride, and even loyalty can sometimes backfire without the right mindset.

If you've ever wondered what blind spots may be holding you back or how to defend your values and still build a successful career, this episode is a must-listen.

▶️ Top Career Mistakes Holding You Back in the Workplace:

• [01:51] Staying open to feedback
• [11:26] The consequences of ignoring workplace relationships
• [14:53] Over-compartmentalizing at work
• [18:41] Pride and ego in the workplace
• [22:45] Owning your (and others') mistakes
• [26:13] Taking a stand to be recognized versus because it means something

Resources:

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Top Career Mistakes Holding You Back in the Workplace:

“Speak up to defend your values and the values of the company when you see decisions being made or people being treated in ways that are in conflict with that. ” - Rachel Book

“Don't allow yourself to be derailed because you think you're smarter than everybody around you. ” - Patrick Law

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms

Careers are often shaped by luck, opportunity, and a willingness to say yes, not just upward promotion. In this episode of Leadership & Motivation Unleashed, we’re diving into the concept of the career lattice versus the traditional career ladder. 

We explore the different career paths individuals can take, how to leverage diverse experiences, and the importance of saying yes to new opportunities. You’ll learn how to navigate your career with both strategic planning and openness to unexpected opportunities.

If you're navigating your next career move, this episode is a must-listen.

▶️ Career Ladder vs. Career Lattice: The Value of Experiential Learning:

• [01:51] Career lattice vs. a career ladder
• [02:37] The role of luck and opportunity in career development
• [05:25] What you gain from “lateral” experience
• [08:59] Embracing projects even if they feel risky or outside your lane
• [15:01] Three types of career planning personalities
• [18:04] The “stacked career” and hybrid experience roles
• [23:46] The future of work: Why AI makes cross-functional insight more valuable
• [25:16] Owning your risks, failures, and your story

Resources:

Would you like to ask a question, offer feedback, or request a topic for a future episode? Fill out this one-question form.

Notable Quotes from Career Ladder vs. Career Lattice: The Value of Experiential Learning:

“ If you don't take advantage of some of these opportunities, you may not unlock those relationships, those opportunities to be visible, or those experiences to acquire new skills. ” - Rachel Book

“  The more things you have to draw from to help you be successful from an experience perspective, the better off you'll be.” - Patrick Law

Connect with Your Hosts:

📱 Follow Patrick Law on LinkedIn.

📱 Follow Rachel Book on LinkedIn.

🎥 Follow Leadership & Motivation Unleashed on YouTube.

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Produced by Ideablossoms