My guest today is John Schuhart.

John is an executive leadership coach. He spent 17 years as an Intelligence Community Senior Executive, including: 

• Chief Financial Officer of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
• Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
• Deputy Executive Director of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Community Management Staff

John is also the author of, New Supervisor Survival Guide, a book that explores the challenges of becoming an effective leader. 

Being a leader who people want to work for is not rocket science. But most people either spend too-little time learning or fail to get the training and support they need to learn how to lead and—perhaps more importantly—think about how they want to lead before they become supervisors.

In our conversation today John shares his insights and wisdom about leadership and the skills that make leaders effective. 

John, thank you for this great conversation. Thank you for writing your book and sharing these practical insights and principles of leadership. Your work is making the world a better place!

If you’d like to learn more about John and the work that he does, you’ll find links below:

Gray Beard Coaching: https://graybeardcoaching.com/

Book: 

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My guest today is Doug Tilstra.

As I introduce Doug, I’ve debated which title to share first and I think I’ll share that he’s my father-in-law!  And I’m honored to share another podcast with a family member!

Doug has more than 44 years of experience as a pastor, professor, mentor, coach, and university administrator.  

In the six years leading up to his retirement in 2023, Doug served as the vice president for Student Life at  Walla Walla University.  He managed the challenges of covid, as you’ll hear him share some reflections about, and dealt with a high level of stress in his final years of full-time employment.

Doug holds a doctoral degree in organization and management with a specialization in leadership, and two master’s degrees – a Master of Divinity and Master of Science in education.  He’s a Georgetown University-certified leadership coach and certified emotional intelligence trainer.  He is a published author and frequent workshop speaker on a variety of leadership topics.

Doug and his wife Lorraine have been married since 1979 and are the proud parents of 3 adult children and adoring grandparents of 2 granddaughters.  Doug loves the outdoors, biking, writing, hiking, and reading.

In our conversation today, Doug and I dig into the challenges of retirement and major life transitions.  There are a lot of relevant connections for times of transition, which many people are experiencing this year. 

Dad, thank you for jumping into this conversation with me.  Thank you for being persistent in making time.  It’s especially rewarding since we’ve been talking about this for several years now!  Your reflections, stories, and wisdom are thought-provoking and inspiring.  

If you’d like to connect with Doug or learn more about his work in the world, you’ll find links below:

Connect with Doug on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-tilstra-4a0472/

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My guest today is Jessica Vogt.

Jessica is a holistic leadership development coach who supports people with a foot in many worlds - culturally, professionally, or personally. She works with those who often feel like they belong everywhere and nowhere all at once. With warmth, empathy, curiosity, and a good measure of humour, Jess helps them reconnect with their voice, their worth, and their right to live life on their own terms.

Drawing from her own experience as a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), a lifelong expat, and an ever-curious learner of humans, she blends neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and embodiment practices into a coaching process that helps people build the clarity, confidence, and courage to lead a life that feels like home.

She believes that when we live as we are, we lead as we are - creating ripples that inspire others to live and lead as they are too.

I met Jess through the kind introduction of Arianne Rice – thank you, Arianne!!  When we first talked, I immediately hoped Jess would say yes to being on the podcast.  And I’m grateful she did because her stories are intriguing and inspiring.

In our conversation today, Jess shares about her experiences growing up as a CODA.  How these parts of her journey contribute to shape her and her work today.

Jess, thank you so very much for this beautiful conversation.  You are an inspiration to me, to your clients, and are doing such important work in the world to make this world a better and brighter place.

To learn more about Jess and the work she does, you’ll find links below:

Jessica's website: www.talpaco.com 

Jessica's linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvogt/ 

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My guest today is Sava Riaskoff.

Sava is a Performance & Wellbeing Coach, TEDxSpeaker, and Associate Professor at the ESADE MBA in Barcelona. Over the past seven years, he’s worked with leaders and next-gen talent through 1:1 coaching, in-company trainings, and immersive retreats in Europe and Patagonia.

His work is deeply shaped by his own journey — from following a path that looked right on paper but left him quietly burning out, to being forced to face some of the hard questions we tend to avoid: 

What do I actually want? And who am I really, when I stop trying to fit in or live up to other people’s expectations?

Today, he helps others explore those same questions — and navigate the uncertainty, self-doubt, and pressure that tend to come with choosing a new path or stepping into leadership.

I met Sava through the kind introduction of Adela Warkentin (thank you, Adela!!).  This is a beautiful and inspiring conversation where we explore the intersection of emotional safety and authenticity or vulnerability.  What changes when we choose to be vulnerable and risk the unknown?  Ironically enough, as Sava shares… we find safety, despite it feeling so scary.

Sava, thank you for jumping into the deep end of the conversational pool with me!  Thank you for choosing authenticity and vulnerability.  You are an inspiration!  Keep being you and adding such beautiful light to the world!!

To learn more about Sava and the work he does in the world, you’ll find links below:

Sava’s Website: https://www.inwardpath.com

Growth Week Retreats: https://growthweek.co

Watch Sava’s TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WelzFFA0TM

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

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My guest today is Nicole Anderson.

Nicole is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in driving organizational success through human-centered change management. As a Partner at The Kaler Group, her unique ability to integrate people, processes, and technology has made her a pivotal force in enhancing organizational effectiveness and fostering positive culture and employee experiences. 

She is known for her strategic vision, innovative problem-solving skills, and a deep understanding of organizational and team dynamics.  She partners with her clients to empower people and teams to thrive and achieve lasting success.  

In our conversation today, Nicole shares pieces of her journey of seeking freedom and learning how to define success for herself.  She shares about both the joys and challenges of this.  When we shift measures of success from the external expectations around us to the internal desires and values, it can be disruptive… and liberating.

Nicole, thank you for sharing your stories, your reflections, your wisdom.  I’m so grateful to know you and be inspired by you.  Thank you for the light you are creating in the world and in the lives of those you work with!

To learn more about Nicole and her work, you’ll find links below:

LinkedIn

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My guest today is Linda Hoopes. 

Linda helps organizations, teams, and individuals thrive in turbulence.  She’s a writer and speaker on the topics of resilience, change, and employee well-being. 

Linda is a returning guest, having been on the podcast a couple of years ago with Kris Burbank, where they talked about their co-authored book, Embracing Another Normal: Resilience Stories and Strategies for Raising Children with Disabilities.

Linda is back with me today to dig a little deeper into her work around resilience and her framework of Prosilience.  Her book Prosilience: Building Your Resilience for a Turbulent World, helps us assess our readiness for challenge and design a plan to become even stronger. 

Linda is also a sailor, musician, photographer, and traveler.

Linda, thank you for this inspiring and thought-provoking conversation.  Your framework on building the muscles to help us respond effectively during times of turbulence are incredibly practical and applicable in life!  I’m grateful for your perspectives, groundedness, and wisdom.

To learn more about Linda and the work she does in the world, you’ll find links below:

Resilience Alliance

404.309.3331 (c)

Calendar: https://doodle.com/mm/lindahoopes/booking

Interested in more? Sign up for my newsletters:

Prosilience: Strategies for building personal and organizational challenge readiness

Organizational Change Intersections: Fresh perspectives on effective change in organizations

Family History Projects

The Journals of Emma Troutman Boylan: My great-grandmother's journals

Travels with K: My great-aunt's world adventures

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My guest today is Elif Malmqvist.

Elif is an executive coach who is currently studying cognitive neuroscience so she can better understand the why behind human emotions and connections.  

Elif is passionate about helping people understand neuroplasticity, specifically around understanding negative thoughts or baggage from the past and how to create more positivity and happiness through better understanding of our brains.

Elif and I met many years ago through Margareta Sjolund, who has also been a guest on my podcast.  Our passion for emotional intelligence training linked us and yet because we both moved multiple times to difference countries, this conversation is the first we have had in many years!  

Elif is currently based in Malaysia but has lived in various countries in Asia and Europe.  

Elif, thank you so much for this inspiring conversation. Thank you for sharing with us your stories and what you are learning about the brain and how it can help create more happiness in our lives.  I can’t wait to hear more about your research!

To learn more about Elif and her work, you’ll find links below.

Connect with Elif on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elifmalmqvist/

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My guest today is Jules Kuroda.

Jules’s life passion is helping people get past the ideas they have of themselves to unlock more fulfillment. Our minds are wonderful and dangerous tools, she says, depending on how we wield them.

Jules loves complexity and strives for simplicity and believes the world is more interesting with our paradoxes explored.

Her aim is to bring more joy and understanding into the world, and I believe our conversation today will bring you both joy and new understanding of the world and yourself.

Jules’s book, The N8 Self: You are more than your Mind, Body, and Emotions, offers a tangible way to understand and create more meaning and purpose in our lives.  You’ll hear Jules share principles from her book today that are indeed really practical and tangible.  

Jules, thanks for sharing your insights, your stories, your wisdom.  The work you are doing is adding so much light and connection to the world and I’m honored to help share it here.

You can find links in the show notes to learn more about Jules and her work.

Jules's Website: https://www.n8self.com/

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Welcome back to Make Life Less Difficult.

My guest today is Michael Ulrich.

Michael is a contemplative psychotherapist based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a background in clinical practice, systems thinking, and integral development. His work bridges traditional therapeutic modalities with emergent, self-organizing ways of relating and healing.

In our conversation today, Michael and I explore the ongoing practice of presence—what it means to meet ourselves and others without needing to fix or explain. We speak about narrative and identity, power and subtlety, and what emerges when we listen deeply, even to silence.

This dialogue invited me to slow down, to notice the patterns beneath the words, and to trust the wisdom that arises in shared reflection. Michael’s insights—both personal and professional—are a powerful reminder of how growth and groundedness can coexist.

Michael, thank you for this rich and layered conversation. I’m still unpacking it.

To learn more about Michael and his work, you can connect with him here:

Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/psykologmichaelulrich/

Let’s dive in.

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My guest today is Andra Davidson.

Andra is a collaboratively trained Certified Divorce Coach and mediator who created the Better Than Before Divorce™ Program to provide emotional support to men and women navigating divorce.

Her clients benefit from her 25+ years of experience in crisis communications, branding, and marketing, as well as my calm strength and commitment to tangible results. She believes anyone dealing with divorce can learn to minimize conflict, communicate effectively, and prioritize healthy coparenting.  Her strength-based approach provides the tools and skills needed to reduce overwhelm and make informed decisions based on goals, not emotions.

Andra’s favorite past time is enjoying her blended family:  amazing 24-year-old twins, two incredible step-kids, and three adorable dogs.

Andra and I met through a storytelling workshop and I was delighted when she agreed to come on the podcast!  Andra graciously shares pieces of her own journey of a divorce she didn’t choose and how she has come to find her strengths, confidence, and purpose on the other side.  We talk about the value of finding your NorthStar through the process of divorce, setting manageable goals, having a support system, and determining the best path of parenting if kids are involved, including the difference between co-parenting and parallel parenting.

Andra, thank you so much for this inspiring conversation.  Thank you for sharing deeply meaningful stories and wisdom alongside practical and tangible strategies to make divorce a little less difficult.

To connect with Andra and find out more about her work in the world, please see the links below.  There are also links to the books and resources Andra mentions.

Website: betterthanbeforedivorce.com

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/CompassRoseDivorceCoach

https://www.instagram.com/andradavidson_/

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

https://www.youtube.com/@CompassRoseDivorce

Resources:

Bill Eddy, High Conflict Institute, and all his books - https://highconflictinstitute.com/

Let Them, Mel Robbins

The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz

The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown

Parentteam.com (amazing parenting coaches)

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