Lets Have This Conversation

By Kevin McShanNews Daily News

Lets Have This Conversation episodes

September 30 Helping Leaders & Individuals Achieve Holistic Success with: Liz Watt
Healthy people build thriving organizations.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management
(SHRM), 82% of CEOs believe workplace wellness initiatives can deliver a
measurable positive return on investment, while 56% cite employee
productivity as a top reason for investing in employee health and wellness.
Those numbers reinforce an important leadership
conversation: employee well-being and organizational performance are
interconnected.
This week on Let’s Have This Conversation, I was
joined by Liz Watt, an author, speaker, holistic wellness expert, and
co-founder of Be Healthy Utah.
Liz believes true success is holistic. When people feel
well, think clearly, and live with purpose, they are better positioned to
become stronger leaders, healthier employees, more engaged family members, and
more impactful contributors to their communities.
As organizations continue to navigate burnout, stress,
disengagement, and rising healthcare costs, workplace wellness can no longer
simply be viewed as an employee benefit. It is also a conversation about resilience,
productivity, leadership, culture, and sustainable human performance.
Liz’s work is grounded in helping people connect mind, body,
and purpose. Through corporate keynotes, employee wellness workshops, executive
wellness sessions, and the Be Healthy Utah Natural Health & Wellness
Conference, she provides practical education designed to help people make
lasting changes in their lives.
One idea from our conversation particularly resonated with
me:
Life is not just about education. It is about learning,
experience, and what we choose to do with both. When we intentionally apply
what we have learned, we gain the opportunity to change lives—starting with our
own.
Organizations can invest in technology, strategy,
infrastructure, and innovation. But ultimately, people are responsible for
bringing all of those investments to life.
Investing in their holistic well-being means investing in
their capacity to think, contribute, adapt, lead, and thrive.
Healthy people. Stronger leaders. More resilient teams.
Thriving organizations.
Liz joined me this week on Let’s Have This Conversation
to tell me more.

For more information: https://www.behealthyutah.com/
Discover More: https://www.elizabethannwatt.com/
Listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-healthy-naturally/id1473357062

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 1 min
September 28 Helping People Rebuild After Bankruptcy with: Chad Van Horn
Bankruptcy filings are rising across the United States.
Total bankruptcy filings increased 11% during the
12-month period ending December 31, 2025, with increases in both business and
non-business bankruptcies.
According to statistics released by the Administrative
Office of the U.S. Courts, annual bankruptcy filings reached 574,314
in 2025, compared with 517,308 during the previous year.
Business bankruptcy filings increased 7.1%, rising
from 23,107 to 24,737, while non-business filings climbed 11.2% to
549,577, compared with 494,201 in December 2024.
While bankruptcy filings remain well below their historical
highs—including nearly 1.6 million filings in 2010—they have increased every
quarter since reaching a low of 380,634 in June 2022.
So, what do these numbers tell us about the financial
pressures facing individuals, families, and businesses? And when someone finds
themselves overwhelmed by debt, how can bankruptcy become part of a broader
conversation about rebuilding rather than simply financial failure?
On this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation, I’m
joined by Chad Van Horn, Esq., a South Florida attorney, entrepreneur,
business leader, and philanthropist committed to helping people navigate
financial challenges and create a path forward.
Chad is the founder of Van Horn Law Group, P.A., one
of South Florida’s leading bankruptcy law firms. Beyond his legal practice, he
has been involved in developing startup ventures that contribute to the local
economy and has served his community through organizations including Big
Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County.
Throughout his career, Chad has built his philosophy around
the importance of relationships, shared values, and connecting people with the
resources and individuals who can help them succeed.
As Chad says:
“It’s always better to have a team pulling together than
to try to go it alone. However, you need to have the right team with shared
values to achieve your true aspirations.”
During our conversation, we explore what the continued rise
in bankruptcy filings says about today’s financial environment, the
misconceptions surrounding bankruptcy, why financial hardship shouldn’t
eliminate someone’s opportunity to rebuild, and how individuals and business
owners can make more informed decisions when debt becomes overwhelming.
We also discuss Chad’s journey as an attorney and
entrepreneur, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people, how
relationships can accelerate personal and professional growth, and why helping
people regain a sense of possibility can be just as important as solving the
immediate financial problem.
This conversation goes beyond bankruptcy law. It’s about financial
resilience, second chances, entrepreneurship, relationships, leadership, and
creating a roadmap forward when circumstances become difficult.

For more information: https://www.vanhornlawgroup.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
51 min
September 23 Qualified Isn’t Enough How to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market with: Margaret Buj
According to LinkedIn, 50% of recruiters report that poor
interview performance—or a candidate’s inability to clearly articulate their
experience under pressure—is a primary reason qualified candidates are
rejected.
That raises an important question: How do talented
professionals make sure their value is understood when the pressure is on?
This week on Let’s Have This Conversation, I’m joined
by Margaret Buj, an interview coach and international recruiter who helps
professionals communicate their value clearly, confidently, and convincingly so
they can pursue the roles they truly want.
Since beginning her recruitment career in 2005, Margaret has
worked with thousands of job seekers across the UK, Europe, the United States,
and beyond—from ambitious graduates to senior managers and C-suite executives.
She has also personally coached more than 1,000 job seekers,
helping them strengthen their positioning, improve their LinkedIn profiles and
résumés, prepare for high-stakes interviews, and develop more effective
job-search strategies.
What makes Margaret’s perspective particularly valuable is
that she understands both sides of the hiring table. She knows how
organizations assess talent—and where highly qualified candidates can struggle
to communicate the value they bring.
Her work sits at the intersection of hiring, professional
positioning, and interview strategy, helping companies build stronger teams
while helping professionals compete more effectively for the right
opportunities.
Margaret’s career advice has been featured in Forbes, the
Financial Times, Business Insider, The Guardian, Fox Business, CIO Magazine,
Cosmopolitan, and other leading publications. She has also been recognized as a
LinkedIn Top Voice.
Margaret joined me for an in-depth conversation about:
• Building a more intentional job-search strategy
• Positioning yourself effectively on LinkedIn and through your résumé
• Preparing to communicate with confidence during interviews
• Understanding what recruiters and hiring managers are really evaluating
• Standing out when competing against other highly qualified candidates
• Turning your experience into a compelling professional value proposition
Your qualifications may open the door. Your ability to
articulate their value can determine what happens once you walk through it.
Tune in to this
insightful conversation with Margaret Buj on Let’s Have This Conversation.

For more information: https://interview-coach.co.uk/
LinkedIn: @Margaret Buj

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
47 min
September 21 Beyond the Wellness Program: Building a Culture Where People Can Thrive with Robin O’Grady
The Strategic Priority Gap: A report highlighted by
Benefits Canada found that while 49% of HR leaders rank general engagement
and retention among their top priorities, only 28% view employee well-being
itself as a central strategic priority.
What if organizations stopped treating employee wellness as
an initiative and started viewing it as a fundamental part of workplace
culture?
Robin O’Grady is an international speaker, fitness
industry leader, corporate culture specialist, and founder of O’Grady
Consulting. She is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to
pursue attainable wellness goals that contribute to healthier, more engaged,
motivated, and sustainable workplace cultures.
Robin believes wellness doesn't have to be complicated.
Through simple strategies and actionable tools, she helps organizations make
well-being achievable and accessible while strengthening employee engagement,
team motivation, productivity, and connection.
Drawing from her diverse experience as an operations
director, fitness industry leader, dance instructor, and aerialist, Robin
brings energy, authenticity, and practical insight to conversations about what
it takes to create environments where people can thrive.
During our conversation, we explore the relationship between
employee well-being and workplace culture, why organizations should
think more strategically about wellness, and how leaders can move beyond
short-term wellness initiatives toward sustainable practices that become
embedded in the everyday employee experience.
We also discuss the connection between personal wellness and
professional performance, the importance of setting attainable goals, what
leaders can do to reignite engagement and motivation, and why sustainable
organizational change often begins with giving people practical tools they can
actually use.
Outside of her professional work, Robin enjoys dancing,
group fitness, aerial arts, and—just for fun—doing handstands. Based in Calgary
with her husband and two boys, she brings her belief in balance and sustainable
wellness into both her professional and personal life.
Robin O’Grady joined me this week to explore how
organizations can close the gap between talking about employee well-being and
making it a meaningful part of workplace culture—and why helping people thrive
can ultimately help organizations thrive.

LinkedIn: @RobinO'Grady
Email: [email protected]
The Strategic Priority Gap: A report highlighted by
Benefits Canada found that while 49% of HR leaders rank general engagement
and retention among their top priorities, only 28% view employee well-being
itself as a central strategic priority.
What if organizations stopped treating employee wellness as
an initiative and started viewing it as a fundamental part of workplace
culture?
Robin O’Grady is an international speaker, fitness
industry leader, corporate culture specialist, and founder of O’Grady
Consulting. She is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to
pursue attainable wellness goals that contribute to healthier, more engaged,
motivated, and sustainable workplace cultures.
Robin believes wellness doesn't have to be complicated.
Through simple strategies and actionable tools, she helps organizations make
well-being achievable and accessible while strengthening employee engagement,
team motivation, productivity, and connection.
Drawing from her diverse experience as an operations
director, fitness industry leader, dance instructor, and aerialist, Robin
brings energy, authenticity, and practical insight to conversations about what
it takes to create environments where people can thrive.
During our conversation, we explore the relationship between
employee well-being and workplace culture, why organizations should
think more strategically about wellness, and how leaders can move beyond
short-term wellness initiatives toward sustainable practices that become
embedded in the everyday employee experience.
We also discuss the connection between personal wellness and
professional performance, the importance of setting attainable goals, what
leaders can do to reignite engagement and motivation, and why sustainable
organizational change often begins with giving people practical tools they can
actually use.
Outside of her professional work, Robin enjoys dancing,
group fitness, aerial arts, and—just for fun—doing handstands. Based in Calgary
with her husband and two boys, she brings her belief in balance and sustainable
wellness into both her professional and personal life.
Robin O’Grady joined me this week to explore how
organizations can close the gap between talking about employee well-being and
making it a meaningful part of workplace culture—and why helping people thrive
can ultimately help organizations thrive.

LinkedIn: @RobinO'Grady
Email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
49 min
September 20Inclusive Leadership: Building Trust and Workplace Culture with Natalie Holder
78% of American workers said it was important to work for
a company that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, according to the April 2021 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Happiness Survey.
What does it take to turn those employee expectations into a workplace where
people feel valued—and leadership delivers?
On this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation,
Kevin McShan welcomes Natalie Holder, Esq., SPHR, an employment
attorney, award-winning speaker, author, executive coach, and senior People and
Culture leader. Drawing on experience across academia, technology, law
enforcement, and highly regulated industries—including roles with Stanford
University and the United States Capitol Police—Natalie brings a practical
perspective on inclusive leadership, organizational culture, and HR compliance.
Natalie approaches diversity, equity, and inclusion as a
leadership and accountability discipline embedded in everyday decisions. Her
work connects organizational trust, legal risk, and employee performance,
helping leaders build systems designed to withstand regulatory scrutiny,
leadership transitions, and external pressure.
Her career results include increasing applicant flow by
82%, increasing hiring of underrepresented talent in technology by 23%, and
increasing hiring of women in a law enforcement agency by 15%. She has also
delivered court-ordered compliance training and built succession planning,
employee relations, and performance management frameworks across industries.
In this conversation, we explore:
• How inclusive leadership translates into everyday workplace practices.
• Why accountability matters when building employee trust
. • How organizations can connect HR compliance with a stronger workplace culture.
• What it takes to attract talent and develop future leaders. • How executive coaching helps turn professional potential into meaningful impact.
If you’re an executive, HR professional, people manager, or
emerging leader, this episode offers a fresh perspective on building an
organization where people and performance can thrive.
What’s one action leaders can take to make employees feel
valued? Share your perspective in the comments, and subscribe to Let’s Have
This Conversation for more conversations on leadership, inclusion, and positive
change.

For more information: https://natalieholderspeaks.com/NatalieHolderSpeaks

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 9 min
September 18 Nathalie Blais: Connection Is Not An Assumption; It Is a Skill
What if the greatest competitive advantage in an
increasingly automated world isn't another piece of technology—but our ability
to genuinely connect with one another?
Executive coaching has increasingly become a strategic
leadership investment. Benchmark research has reported returns ranging from 529%
to 788%—roughly 5.3 to 7.9 times the initial investment—while research into
human-centered leadership continues to highlight the importance of empathy,
authenticity, communication, and meaningful connection.
On this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation, I
sit down with Nathalie Blais, Founder and CEO of Coach Academy, TEDx
speaker, and ICF Master Certified Coach, to explore a powerful premise: connection
is not an assumption; it is a skill.
At a time when communication can feel increasingly reactive
and transactional, Nathalie challenges us to rethink how influence is built,
how people create meaningful change, and why coaching skills are ultimately
connection skills.
For Nathalie, coaching isn't about fixing people or simply
telling them what to do. It's about creating the conditions for insight,
responsibility, growth, inclusion, and meaningful exchange. Her philosophy
positions coaching as a language leaders can use to deepen relationships and
create sustainable change across organizations, cultures, and systems.
Nathalie brings extensive experience to this conversation,
including more than 50,000 hours in facilitation, learning design, research,
and education development. She has designed multiple ICF-accredited coach
education programs and trained thousands of leaders and coaches around the
world.
Her research explores the deeply human forces that shape how
we relate to one another—including fear, motivation, grief, compassion, and
connection. Her forthcoming 2027 book examines why human-centered connection
may become an even more critical capability as automation and artificial
intelligence reshape how we live and work.
Throughout our conversation, we explore the ROI of
executive coaching, human-centered leadership, authentic influence, emotional
intelligence, inclusion, organizational change, and the skills leaders will
need to remain distinctly human in an AI-driven world.
If connection can be learned, strengthened, and practiced,
the question for every leader becomes: How intentionally are you developing
it?

For More Information: https://canadacoachacademy.com/
Listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/connection-experiment-by-coach-academy/id1708030774

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
52 min
September 15 Persevering Through Collapse, Recovery, & Restoration with Ezra Vancil

Sometimes the most important chapter of our lives begins after the one we thought would define us completely falls apart.
My guest today knows what it means to experience that kind of collapse—and what it takes to rebuild afterward.
Ezra Vancil is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and speaker based in Dallas, Texas. He has spent decades writing, recording, and performing across rock, pop, experimental music, and Americana. But the most powerful story Ezra has to share isn't simply found in a song. It's found in the life he had to reconstruct.
Ezra is now 13 years sober. His journey has included addiction, depression, a felony DWI, divorce, and the unraveling of the identity and life he once knew. Recovery required him to rebuild much more than his sobriety. He had to rediscover discipline, repair relationships, reconnect with family, reclaim his creativity, and redefine his sense of purpose.
That rebuilding process eventually became Morning & Midnight—an expansive creative project consisting of two albums, a book, and original artwork created during the recording process. The project also became a family affair, featuring vocals from his daughter Cozi, editing contributions from his son, appearances from Paco Estrada, and flamenco guitar from legendary guitar technician Rene Martinez.
However, today's conversation goes beyond the music.
We're talking about collapse, recovery, restoration, and what sustainable change actually looks like when life forces you to start over.
Ezra and I explore how failure can redefine our understanding of success, why creative blocks can sometimes signal personal misalignment rather than a lack of talent, and why lasting transformation requires something deeper than temporary motivation.
We also explore how creativity can help us make sense of experiences that don't fit neatly into categories. Ezra's songwriting reflects the entire spectacle of being human—marriage and divorce, children and parents, heartbreak and loneliness, addiction and recovery, faith and spirituality, nature, love, failure, and hope.
Because life doesn't fit neatly into one genre—and neither does recovery.
When everything you thought defined you disappears, how do you rebuild a life that is not simply successful, but sustainable, meaningful, and authentically yours?
Let's have this conversation with Ezra Vancil.

For more information: https://ezravancil.com/
Instagram: @ezravancil

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
50 min
September 15Connection-Centered Leadership: Melissa Swonger on Building Cultures Where People Flourish
What if sustainable leadership transformation begins not
with strategy, systems, or titles—but with connection?
In this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation, Melissa
Swonger, known as the Architect of Connection-Centered Leadership™, explores
the invisible architecture beneath effective leadership: the beliefs,
relationships, behavioral patterns, and cultural dynamics that shape how people
lead themselves, influence others, navigate change, and build organizations
where people can flourish.
Melissa is a scholar-practitioner, change theorist,
international bestselling author, keynote speaker, executive coach, and
organizational culture advisor. Her work bridges psychology, leadership
development, organizational culture, change theory, human behavior, and
whole-person development to help leaders move beyond surface-level solutions
and create sustainable transformation.
According to Gartner research, 90% of HR leaders believe
that focusing on the human aspects of leadership is necessary for success in
today's workplace. Yet recognizing the importance of human-centered leadership
and consistently putting it into practice are two very different things.
Melissa's work addresses that gap through
Connection-Centered Leadership™ and her Integrative Transformation Blueprint™,
a research-informed approach built around three stages:
Awareness → Connection → Movement
The framework challenges leaders to examine not only what they
are building, but what they are building on. Sustainable
organizational change requires understanding the underlying beliefs,
relationships, behaviors, and informal systems influencing how people
communicate, collaborate, make decisions, and respond to change.
Throughout our conversation, we explore why leadership
begins long before someone receives a title, how self-awareness influences
organizational culture, and why meaningful connection can become a catalyst for
stronger leadership and sustainable change.
We also examine Melissa's concept of radical kindness and
why kindness, connection, and human-centered leadership should not be confused
with avoiding accountability. Instead, they can help create the conditions for
trust, honest communication, meaningful relationships, and transformational
performance.
Melissa shares insights from her work across executive
advisory, leadership and culture consulting, speaking, workshops, retreats, and
author development through The Muse & The Method™.
In This Conversation, We Explore:
At its core, this conversation asks leaders to consider a
powerful question: What are you building—and what are you building it on?
For executives, HR professionals, people leaders,
entrepreneurs, organizational development professionals, and anyone interested
in the future of work, this episode offers a deeper examination of how
connection-centered and human-centered leadership can create sustainable
transformation from the inside out.

For more information: https://www.thesagehillproject.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr
September 09 Stop Selling, Start Telling: Jillian Ivey Your Story, Told Your Way
What separates a brand people remember from one that sounds
like everyone else?
In a world overflowing with AI-generated content, corporate
jargon, sales pitches, and interchangeable marketing language, authentic
storytelling has become a competitive advantage.
On this episode of Let’s Have This Conversation,
I sit down with Jillian (Jill) Ivey, communications strategist,
writer, editor, journalist, and founder of Jilletante Creative, a
story-first content consultancy helping founders, executives, entrepreneurs,
and organizations discover what makes their stories worth telling.
Jillian has built her practice around a simple but powerful
philosophy: tell, don’t sell.
Rather than helping businesses produce more noise, she helps
them communicate like humans. Her work focuses on uncovering an organization’s
authentic voice, developing compelling narratives, clarifying key messages,
understanding audiences, and transforming expertise into content that creates
genuine connections.
With a BA in Creative Writing from the University of
Pennsylvania and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers
University–Camden, along with years of journalism, editing, writing, and
media relations experience, Jillian brings a storyteller’s eye to business
communication. She has been quoted by Law360 on storytelling
for lawyers and has appeared on Peter Shankman’s Faster Than Normal podcast.
Through Jilletante Creative, Jillian works with
clients across the entire content lifecycle—from high-level content strategy to
day-to-day copywriting and editing. Her work includes developing brand
narratives, executive and organizational voices, key messaging, website copy,
professional bios, editorial calendars, thought leadership articles, white
papers, speeches, and social media content.
She also offers the Jilletante Creative Story
Audit, a 45-minute live examination of a business’s messaging and content
designed to identify what is resonating, what is missing, and where the
organization's story can become stronger.
During our conversation, Jillian and I explore why
so much business communication sounds the same, what authentic storytelling
actually looks like, and why organizations should focus on telling their
stories rather than constantly trying to sell something.
We also discuss how founders and executives can discover
their unique voices, why thought leadership requires a genuine point of view,
the relationship between storytelling and trust, and how organizations can
create content strategies that remain consistent without sacrificing creativity
or humanity.
At its core, this conversation asks an important question:
In an age when virtually everyone can create content,
what will make people care about yours?
The answer may have less to do with producing more
content—and much more to do with telling a better, more human story.
Join us for a conversation about authentic
storytelling, brand voice, communications strategy, thought leadership, content
marketing, executive communication, and the power of telling—not selling.

For more information: jilletante.com
Follow: @JillianIvey
Email: [email protected]
book a story audit on my website for $50 off using
code MCSHAN.
Instagram: @jilletante

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
58 min
September 08 Adaptability Is the New Job Security: Ross Thornley on AQ, AI & the Future of Work
Employees with high adaptability are 2.5 times more likely to demonstrate high
job performance and contribute meaningfully to organizational success,
according to ETS, a global education and talent solutions organization focused
on enabling lifelong learners to become future-ready.
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the workplace,
perhaps we're asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking, “Which jobs will AI make
redundant?” should we be asking, “Which tasks can AI
make redundant—and how can humans continuously adapt to create new value?”
In this thought-provoking episode of Let’s Have This
Conversation, Ross Thornley, entrepreneur, author,
international keynote speaker, and pioneer of the Adaptability Quotient
(AQ), joins us to explore why adaptability may become one of the most
important competitive advantages for individuals, leaders, teams, and
organizations navigating the age of AI.
As Co-Founder and CEO of AQai, Ross has helped
build an AI-powered platform designed to help people, teams, and organizations
measure and strengthen their adaptability so they can thrive through
accelerating change. A graduate of the Singularity University Executive
Program, Ross has worked with leadership teams across Fortune 500
companies, governments, and UN agencies.
He is also the host of the DECODING AQ podcast,
where he explores adaptability, emerging technology, leadership, and what it
takes to remain valuable in an increasingly unpredictable world.
Ross brings an experimental, curious, and optimistic
perspective to the future. His Massive Transformational Purpose is
ambitious: “To unite, inspire and accelerate the best of all humanity.”
At the heart of our conversation is a provocative
idea: It’s time to shift the conversation from making people redundant
to making tasks redundant in the age of AI.
As AI begins reshaping the individual building blocks of
work, our professional identities may need to evolve beyond protecting job
titles. The future could belong to people who understand how to continuously
learn, reinvent themselves, solve new problems, and rebuild the value they
bring to an organization.
Ross argues that there may be no completely “safe”
jobs—but there can be adaptable people.
So, what separates someone who merely survives disruption
from someone who thrives because of it? Can adaptability be measured and
intentionally developed? What exactly is the Adaptability Quotient? How should
leaders prepare their teams for exponential technological change without
allowing fear to dominate the conversation? And as AI takes over more tasks,
which distinctly human capabilities become even more valuable?
Drawing on his background in innovation, branding,
technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership, Ross contextualizes complex ideas
while challenging us to think differently about AI, adaptability,
organizational change, lifelong learning, human potential, and the future of
work.
The question is no longer simply whether your job will
change.
The more important question may be: How prepared are you
to change with it?

For more information: https://www.aqai.io/
LinkedIn: @Ross (The AQ Guy) Thornley

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 3 min

About Lets Have This Conversation

From the publisher's feed

Multimedia Journalist and Motivational Speaker Kevin McShan brings you a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional YouTube Podcast called: “Let’s Have This Conversation. The intention is to provide a large…

Share Lets Have This Conversation

Sign up to save your podcasts

Lets Have This Conversation

Lets Have This Conversation episodes

About Lets Have This Conversation