Real Talk with Tia & Jill

Foreign material events aren’t rare—they’re constant.

👉 72% of food companies report a foreign material issue just in the last quarter
👉 And most leaders agree: that number’s probably low.

Foreign material events aren’t rare—they’re constant.

👉 72% of food companies report a foreign material issue just in the last quarter
👉 And most leaders agree: that number’s probably low.

On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber are joined by Paula Schwarz of Flexxray to ask the deeper question:
💥 What if foreign material events are less about tech—and more about tolerance?

We’ll unpack:
⚠️ Recovery fatigue
⚙️ Supplier accountability
🧠 How culture drives risk (and prevention)
💬 Paula’s leadership story and coaching journey

Learn more about FlexXray at https://flexxray.com/

Connect with Paula Schwarz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-schwarz-2b09ba66/

Join our Leadership Summit on April 8th: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/leadership-summit

If your brain is fried by 10am… or you're stuck waiting for approval to make the simplest call—you’re not alone.

Decision fatigue is real. So is decision powerlessness.

This week on Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders cofounders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber are unpacking both:
→ What constant decision-making is doing to your leadership
→ Why being shut out of decisions is just as draining
→ And how to build decision systems that scale (without burning out)

You can’t shift culture if you’re only talking to people who already agree with you. That’s why today’s Real Talk is all about how to build allies—not just audiences. Catalyst co-founder, Tia Glave, and special guests Madison Kidd and Morrine Omolo, break down: 🧠 What to do when you're not invited to the right meetings 🔧 How to build influence across departments 🎯 Why understanding their goals might help you fix your problems. It’s honest. It’s practical. It's exactly what you need to build strong allies.

You’re the one flagging risks, building systems, and holding the line on standards. But you don’t have the title. You don’t control the budget. And no one reports to you. Welcome to leading without leverage. On this week's Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders co-founders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber name the reality that leaders in food know all too well: Influence without authority is a full-time job. Tia and Jill unpack how to lead up, across, and through resistance—without burning out or backing down. 📅 Monday @ 10am CST 🎙 Streaming on our site + YouTube 🎯 Bonus: We’re giving away our Readiness Compass tool—because clarity builds influence. #RealTalkCatalyst #FoodSafetyLeadership #LeadingWithoutLeverage #PeopleFirstPerformance #BehaviorBasedLeadership #CatalystMethod

🧠 Feeling stretched thin? So is your team. But here’s the real problem: Most workload issues aren’t just about how much is on your plate — they’re about not knowing what’s actually on it. 📉 Unclear workload = hidden burnout, dropped balls, and quiet resentment. 👀 Join us next Monday with the amazing Amy Parks, Global Leader at Dole, on Real Talk as we dig into: - Why most leaders underestimate what their teams are carrying - The ripple effect of unclear roles, priorities, and systems - How to bring visibility and clarity to the real work

Download Catalyst's free Readiness tool here: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/resource-hub

🚨 Real Talk Forecast: 2026 is coming fast. Is your leadership ready? On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders co-founders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber unpack the biggest shifts every food leader should be watching: ⚡ Belonging as a performance metric ⚡ Coaching as a core competency ⚡ Leadership rhythms that build capacity—not burnout We’re calling the episode: “6 Shifts Food Leaders Can’t Ignore in 2026” Come for the trends. Leave with clarity—and a plan.

Check out our Resource Hub here: https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/resource-hub

Most professionals dread performance reviews. In fact, at the 2021 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference & Expo 2021, "attendees learned that, upon receiving their annual performance review, 18 percent of women reported crying, while 25 percent of men reported doing so." 😓 OUCH! On this episode of Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders' co-founders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber unpack the real reasons leaders—and teams—avoid these conversations, and how to flip them from fear-driven to culture-driving.

Check out Catalyst's Resource hub here --> https://www.catalystfoodleaders.com/resource-hub

Daily stand-ups are one of the most common leadership practices in food. But are they actually doing what you think they’re doing? In this Real Talk, Catalyst Food Leaders co-founders Tia Glave and Jill Stuber explores how this small habit reveals big truths about team culture, clarity, and connection.

If your leadership strategy is “develop the top 10%,” you’re not scaling capacity—you’re concentrating risk. In this episode, Tia Glave and Jill Stuber, ICF-PCC dive into: 🚨 The hidden costs of star-only development ⚠️ Why it drains culture and burns out teams ✅ What it looks like to build a system where everyone grows You don’t build strong cultures by doubling down on the few. You build them by investing in leadership that sticks.

Before you can lead into 2026, you have to let go of what’s no longer serving you. In this bold Real Talk conversations, Catalyst Food Leaders Co-Founders, Tia Glave and Jill Stuber explore:

- The reactive habits we carry without realizing it

- Why change doesn’t stick without clarity

- A first look at the Catalyst Method™: Spark → Shift → Sustain 

Save your free seat at our Leadership Reset Week www.catalystfoodleaders.com/reset-week

Live episodes on YouTube every Monday at 11a Eastern / 10a Central