Hiring is one of the most important — and most misunderstood — decisions a leader makes.

In this episode of the People Development Podcast, we sit down with Mitch McDermott, founder of Talent Ascension Group, to explore how a human-centered approach to hiring transforms the search, team building, and long-term organizational success.

Rather than focusing only on resumes and job descriptions, Mitch shares how leaders can uncover what truly matters: alignment between a person’s goals, values, and the role they’re stepping into. When leaders create space for real conversation, they move beyond rehearsed answers and begin to see the signals that actually predict success.

In this episode, we discuss:

Mitch also breaks down the three variables of hiring every leader must balance:

Quality • Experience • Budget

You can’t maximize all three at the same time. Great leaders succeed by making intentional trade-offs.

At Living Water Consulting, we believe businesses grow strongest when leaders build systems, culture, and teams that thrive with them—but don’t depend on them.

Guest: Mitch McDermott

Discover more leadership insights and resources at www.consultlivingwater.com, and explore how we help organizations strengthen leadership, strategy, and systems to build self-sustaining businesses.

What if the biggest competitive advantage in your business isn’t technology—but how well you treat people?

In this episode of the People Development Podcast, we’re joined by Joey Coleman, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Never Lose a Customer Again and Never Lose an Employee Again, for a powerful conversation on employee experience, and why human connection still drives the best outcomes.

Joey shares practical insights on:

You’ll also hear Joey unpack his 8 Phases of the Employee Journey, a framework that helps leaders intentionally guide employees from first impression to long-term advocacy.

Bottom line: AI can assist your systems—but only people can build trust, loyalty, and culture.

🎧 If this episode resonates, please like, share, and leave a review to help other leaders find the show.
🤝 Join our online community to continue the conversation and grow alongside purpose-driven leaders (click "Let's Talk" on our website).
🌊 Visit www.consultlivingwater.com to discover how we help executives build businesses that thrive with them—but don’t depend on them.

Guest: Joey Coleman
🌐 joeycoleman.com

#LeadershipDevelopment #PeopleFirst #EmployeeRetention #Culture #Empathy #BusinessSystems #PeopleDevelopmentPodcast

What if better leadership starts with surrender?

In this episode, we’re joined by Jessica Kriegel, Chief Strategy Officer at Culture Partners and co-author of Surrender to Lead, to explore why surrender isn’t weakness—it’s a leadership advantage. Harrison and Jessica discuss everything from what surrendering means (and *spoiler alert* it doesn't mean giving up), all the way to what culture really is.

You’ll walk away with practical insights and simple micro-shifts you can apply this week to lead with greater clarity, humility, and impact.

Explore Jessica's book at: surrendertolead.com
Check out Culture Partners at: culturepartners.com

Learn more about building people-first, self-sustaining organizations at consultlivingwater.com

In this episode, Harrison Tash talks with former Navy SEAL Commander Chris Irwin about why “sucking it up” isn’t a sustainable strategy — and how the Mind Killer Framework reveals five patterns that quietly limit our leadership: Oblivion, Storytelling, Fear, Suppression, and Stagnation.

Chris also shares the ARROW Framework — practical antidotes that build mental fitness through small, consistent reps: Awareness, Reframing, Regulation, Openness, and Wonder. Together, these tools help us shift from reactive to regulated and from stuck to growing.

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SPECIAL INVITATION: Get free access to our private online community — normally a $1,000 program — where we train owners and leaders to step up, take charge, and run the business with greater consistency. Email us at [email protected]

If this conversation resonates, leave a review or connect with us — we’d love to hear your thoughts. Learn more about how we help leaders build a business that thrives with you, but doesn’t depend on you, at consultlivingwater.com.

For More on Mental Fitness, contact Chris!
raresense.com • thischrisirwin.com
[email protected] 

Featuring Lynn Smith — Media Strategist, Former NBC/CNN Anchor and Producer, and Founder of Lynn Smith Media & Communications

Before you say a word, the room already feels your energy. That energy speaks louder than your credentials — it tells people whether you’re someone they can trust, follow, and work with.

In this powerful episode, Lynn Smith, a transformative media and communications strategist and former national news anchor for NBC, MSNBC, and CNN Headline News, joins us to redefine confidence. With over 15 years in top American newsrooms — hosting programs like Early Today Show and Weekend Express — Lynn brings deep insight into what it means to beat your "brain bully," show up with clarity, presence, and authenticity.

Lynn introduces her 4-Part Magnetic Framework (C.O.D.E.), a practical guide for leaders who want to speak with impact:

If your goal is to show up as your most authentic, confident self — in leadership, communication, or life — this episode is your playbook.

👉 Learn more about Lynn’s work at lynnsmith.com and check out some of her free resources here.
👉 Discover how Living Water Consulting helps leaders build confidence through systems and culture at consultlivingwater.com and book a free call here. 

#Confidence #Leadership #Communication  #Mindset #PersonalGrowth #LivingWaterConsulting #LynnSmith #HarrisonTash

Is your strategy suffering from common ailments that keep you stuck in performance mode? In this episode, we sit down with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, to diagnose the "product diseases" that derail even the best teams—from pivotitis to obsessive sales disorder to strategic swelling.

Radhika introduces her OHL framework (Objectives, Hypothesis & Learnings) for puzzle-solving product strategy that cuts through the noise and gets you building with real clarity and purpose.

Tune in to discover how to move beyond the theater and start creating strategy and products driven by vision, not just reaction.

Resources:
🔗 Learn more: https://consultlivingwater.com
🔗 Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Connect with Radhika: https://rdutt.com

Want Better Results? Build Better Skills. 

The outcomes we desire—growth, progress, confidence—are rarely out of reach. They're just on the other side of specific skills. In this episode, Harrison and strategist & author, Craig Gauthier, explore how with the right awareness and framework, anyone can learn the skills that drive the results they want.

Craig reveals three distinct categories of essential skills—tactical, meta, and strategic—and introduces the C.O.D.E. framework that maps the four stages of learning and mastery.

Learning is a journey—but it's a journey you can map and accelerate. Tune in to discover which stage you're in and how to navigate your path to mastery.

📌 Learn more: consultlivingwater.com

📧 Connect with us: [email protected]
🤝 In partnership with: craigg.me

Confidence isn’t just a mindset—it’s a skillset. In this episode, we explore the four essential soft skills that build unshakeable confidence: self-confidence, emotional intelligence, leadership, and influential communication. During Harrison’s interview with guest, Nada Lena Nasserdeen of Rise Up For You, Nada breaks down how these skills empower professionals to lead, connect, and grow with impact.

📌 Learn more: consultlivingwater.com
🤝 In partnership with: riseupforyou.com and Nada's LinkedIn Profile

In this episode, we explore how real empowerment starts with curiosity — bringing about awareness of your thoughts, beliefs, and mental patterns. Together with ex-Google expert, Barbara Boselli, of Bnow Consulting, we break down three simple practices that help people and organizations shift from limitation to transformation. Discover why bringing a curiosity to your thinking and building mindset habits unlocks true resilience and creativity.

Learn more: consultlivingwater.com
In collaboration with: bnowconsulting.com

In this episode, we tackle one of the challenges facing today's workforce: how to transform work from something that drains us into something that truly motivates and fulfills us. Our guest, Rob Lion of Black River Performance Management, shares essential strategies for creating human-centered workplaces. Whether you're a leader looking to re-energize your team or seeking more meaning in your daily work, this conversation offers practical wisdom for creating alignment, clarity, and systems that support genuine motivation in professional settings.

Resources: