Real Talk with Tia & Jill

When you've been inside an organization long enough, you stop seeing what's actually there. The workarounds become normal. The silence becomes expected. The gap between what the culture says it values and what actually happens on the floor becomes invisible — until someone from the outside walks in and names it. On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders co-founders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber bring on special guest Beth Fernandes! Beth has spent over two decades in food safety and quality — including leading global programs at McCain Foods — and now consults across organizations. She sees things in the first hour that leaders have missed for years. You don't want to miss this conversation!

Download your SQF / GFSI guide here: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/sqf-guide

Watch Real Talk live on Mondays at 11a ET / 10a CT https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/real-talk

Most leaders aren't getting the feedback that would actually help them grow. Not because their teams don't have it, but because the culture, the dynamic, or the leader's own behavior has made it unsafe or pointless to give. Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber get personal in this week's Real Talk episode about the blind spots in their own leadership — the moments they couldn't see what they were doing until something or someone held up a mirror. And what it actually takes to close the gap. Learn more about Leadership Bootcamp here: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/leadership-development

Watch Real Talk live on Mondays at 11a ET / 10a CT https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/real-talk

SQF Edition 10 was released on March 1st. Audits begin in February 2027. The change that most food companies aren't prepared for isn't technical — it's cultural. For the first time, food safety culture is a scored, auditable element. Auditors will assess whether your leaders are actively modeling and sustaining it. Not just whether the procedures are documented. On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber are bringing in Allison DeGraffenreid, a #foodleader who has navigated this from the inside to talk about what that actually looks like — and what it asks of your leadership team right now. Watch Real Talk live on Mondays at 11a ET / 10a CT https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/real-talk

What if the thing holding your leadership back isn't a skill gap — it's a blind spot you can't see on your own?

That's the conversation Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber are having on this episode of Real Talk.

We're joined by Laurence Harvey — facilitator, coach, and former UK police officer who has spent 32 years helping leaders uncover the unconscious bias quietly shaping their decisions, their teams, and their culture.

His story alone is worth showing up for.

Before he takes the stage at the Catalyst Leadership Summit on April 8, Laurence is joining Jill and Tia for a live conversation about what leaders can't see — and what becomes possible when they finally do.

Join us at our Leadership Summit: www.catalystfoodleader.com

Most companies say leadership development matters.

But in many organizations, it’s treated like a side project instead of a system.

A strong technical expert gets promoted.

Suddenly, they’re leading people, navigating conflict, and shaping culture.

And they’re expected to figure it out.

In this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber unpack 4 reasons leadership development fails in food companies — and why the real issue isn’t talent, but design.

This conversation connects directly to one of our Summit sessions: Leadership Development Is Not a Side Hustle.

Join us on April 8th https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/offers/TNFozfzW/checkout

Food companies operate in one of the most complex environments in the world.

Recalls.
Audits.
Supply disruptions.
Customer pressure.

It’s no surprise leaders often feel stuck responding to the next fire.
But what if the real issue isn’t reactive leaders — it’s leadership systems that keep organizations trapped in reaction?

Next week on Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders co-founders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber unpack: The 3 Leadership Patterns Keeping Food Companies Stuck in Reaction Mode

We’ll explore:
• why hero culture rewards firefighting
• how escalation keeps leaders in the weeds
• why compliance thinking can block real learning

If you’ve ever felt like you’re solving the same problems over and over again, this one’s for you.

📍 Watch the show live on Mondays at 11AM ET here: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/real-talk or YOUTUBE.

Join us for our leadership summit on April 8th!  Register at: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/leadership-summit

Watch Tia & Jill on The Food Safety Exchange here: https://youtu.be/OYOgrkjZXOs?si=X2QMgmaqqujIzCqp

#RealTalkCatalyst
#FoodIndustryLeadership
#CultureChange
#LeadershipSystems
#FoodSafetyLeadership

Leadership doesn’t look the same everywhere. And it definitely doesn’t look the same to every generation. On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber are joined by Grace Adofoli for a conversation on: Leading Across Generations and Continents As teams become more globally connected and more multi-generational, leadership expectations don’t always align. What feels decisive in one culture can feel distant in another. What feels empowering to one generation can feel unclear to another. In this episode, we’ll explore: • How leadership expectations shift across cultures • Where generational “conflict” is actually translation gaps • What authority and influence look like in different contexts • How leaders can build trust across difference If you’re leading across age groups, geographies, or both — this conversation is for you. 📍 Watch the show live on Mondays at 11AM ET here: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/real-talk #RealTalkCatalyst #LeadershipDevelopment #GlobalLeadership #LeadingAcrossGenerations #CultureChange

Re-orgs are everywhere right now. New boxes. New lines. New titles. And yet… the same frustrations, inefficiencies, and leadership challenges keep showing up. On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber are unpacking Why Fixing Your Org Chart Isn’t Fixing Your Culture — and why restructuring often becomes a distraction from the leadership gaps that actually drive outcomes. We’ll talk about: ► Why re-orgs feel productive (even when they aren’t) ► How leadership behaviors, not structure, drive culture ► Where money, time, and energy really leak in organizations ► What leaders need to address before the next re-org Live episodes: Mondays at 11a ET at https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/real-talk. Learn more about our Spring leadership cohorts here: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/leadership-development-programs

This week on Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber talk with Candice McGlen, author of Engage Us Now! and our Catalyst Leadership Summit keynote, about how change actually happens inside organizations. This episode is your chance to get to know Candice before the Summit; her journey, her perspective, and why grassroots leadership is resonating so strongly right now.

If you’re curious about how grassroots leadership and engagement can actually work inside your organization, go deeper with Candice at the Catalyst Leadership Summit on April 8, 2026. Register at https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/leadership-summit 

“Why won’t my team take full ownership?” 😓 It’s a question we hear from leaders all the time. And it’s rarely about motivation. More often, it’s about: • unclear expectations • fuzzy authority • roles that look clear on paper but feel blurry in real life On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber talk about the real reason your team won’t take ownership — and how clarity builds trust, accountability, and momentum. They will unpack: 📄Why job descriptions don’t create real clarity ⭐️How vague expectations quietly erode trust and accountability ⚙️What leaders must design (not assume) for ownership to show up

Sign up for Catalyst's 2026 Leadership Summit: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/leadership-summit