Say It Skillfully®

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 194 features callers earlier in their professional careers and what’s top of mind for them.

My first caller, Henry, is right out of college and into his first ever full-time job! He’s wondering about approaching superiors and peers, how to bring up new ideas, find ways to shine and add in a meaningful way to the culture. Hear the incredible maturity of someone new to the workforce (and enjoy a hit of optimism for the future of work). Henry also shares tips for how organizations ensure they don’t miss out on top talent!

Then Robert, who’s been working about nine years, opens up about leaving a company when he realized he wasn’t perceived or treated the way he wanted to be (after attempting to turn things around). Should he have tried harder to change groups vs. change jobs? Did he leave in the right way? We revisit his experience and talk about what he might have considered and what to take into his new role (26:45).

Tune in and hear what’s top of mind for early-in-career professionals—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Molly’s thought for the week: Do or do not. There is no try. —Yoda

And for leaders, please don’t miss taking Molly’s 1st LinkedIn Learning course, “Leadership Communication in the Flow of Work.” Here’s a link for free 24-hr access

Hope it helps you to lead to your full potential. Happy learning!

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 193 Molly’s guest is Nashville Hall of Fame singer-songwriter, Tony Arata, and his unexpected journey to the limelight of his craft, without that ever being his intention.

Being “last of the litter” with 4 older siblings, Tony shares, “my parents were the best role models ever… mom with a 5th, and dad, a 3rd grade education.” Pivotal moments are a theme—a chance gift of a $50 guitar from his brother with a treasure trove of all his siblings’ albums are what ignited Tony’s musical interest and “fancying to be songwriter.” Hear how Aretha Franklin’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T and 11th grade English teacher Sally Scott putting Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath in his hands were pivotal in his epiphany: “Songs come from people, not the radio or albums.”

Moving from Columbia, SC to Tybee, GA in 11th grade, Tony recalls, “I had no friends in Tybee; my guitar and music were my friends.” He learned by voraciously listening to music and reading lyrics. Chuckle as you hear how Tony (journalism major in college) lied his way to his first job as writer… about buses. And the rest is history. A few of many gems:

Tony gives insight into his creative process: “Write for the best idea, best song you can at the time.” And watching a lot of people “break the rules” made all the difference. He talks about his cherished family, including wife Jaymi’s game-changing role. Hear about his Tony Bennett encounter and a “do over” if he had the chance.

Finally, Garth Brooks has recorded, to date, 7 of Tony’s songs. Here’s what Garth said about Tony, “He has to be one of my favorite songwriters. He’s a cat who doesn’t care about appearances. He doesn’t care about money. He cares about his children, his wife & his music. That’s neat.”

Don’t miss the inspiration of Tony pursuing his craft without an end in sight… no ulterior motive, and staying true to himself as #1 songs, #1 albums and Grammy nominations manifested. Learn about succeeding in and navigating life on your terms. Molly’s thought for the week: Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something. —Tony Arata

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 192 is proof our passions in life can come seemingly out of nowhere. Molly’s friend Mark Axelowitz takes us behind the scenes of his life journey—making his way to and excelling in a Wall Street career and then (when least expected) a surprise acting career, starring opposite none other than Robert De Niro three times!

When Mark was 9, his father lost the entire family savings in the stock market. All 4 kids had no choice but to work. Mark delivered newspapers and caddied, and it was his flourishing landscaping business over a decade that covered his clothes, cars and saving for college. He recalls the deep embarrassment—worst house, worst car, having almost no furniture. While his father, who lived until 101, said losing everything was the best thing that could have happened because he had 4 children who weren’t spoiled, Mark learned at a young age the necessity of making money.

Staying home for college was the only option, taking 3 jobs: mowing lawns, packing trucks for UPS and working in the Hofstra computer center. Hear Mark recount his early roles and never looking back after his brash foray onto Wall Street. He became a top financial advisor, working with many of the most successful hedge funds, private equity funds and key players in entertainment. I won’t spoil how Mark’s 2nd career in acting transpired—you have to hear it to believe it. Don’t miss how Mark epitomizes leaning into discomfort (a.k.a. freakin’ out) as the path to growth.

Married 34 years, in business with a partner he’s known 43, relationships have been Mark’s bedrock, as has serving his community. Mark shares (while not his intention) “100%—I owe my success to giving back … without philanthropy I’d never have met Ray Dalio, Bill Ackman, … or been an actor.”

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best

Molly’s first caller Mary is a clear example of “being part of the solution”. Prioritizing creating 1:1 connections, no surprise she’s trusted by folks senior and junior—they tell it like it is to her. She shares her frustration with the authoritative/directive style of a leader (that’s not serving him or the team), and flagrant “bad behaviors” of leaders that everyone knows don’t get along! Molly offers options to take this head on.

Then Phyllis calls in with how she can approach her CEO and co-founder, who unapologetically treats junior staff in ways where they don’t feel respected. She and Molly discuss how to ascertain what drives the CEO, enabling Phyllis to confront the situation and serve both the organization’s culture and its ability to deliver both financial results and social impact (23:50).

Next Gary bravely raises the elephant on the table—when a big corporate campaign intended to advocate for greater inclusion falls completely flat, so much so that the fall-out results in very bad PR, brand damage and plummeting sales. The conversation turns to how such “catastrophes” happen and what brave souls can do to potentially avoid such impending train crashes. They get real about understandable fear “white males” have about using their voices and how to settle the pendulum swing to perhaps less extremes (33:50).

Molly’s thought for the week:

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 190 professionals who know their boundaries call in with how they’re willing to “say no” when something is not ok and to make career transitions to stay true to themselves! Working in IT, Alex calls in about a dodgy situation in which his boss and boss’s boss are at odds—with Alex in the middle (sigh). “Transparency is our friend” proves again to be the answer. Hear how transparency of both bosses’ “radio silence” also helped Alex make a brave, and right, call to leave a culture that wasn’t consistent with his values. Hear how he let one door close to open an unexpected new one, and has not looked back!

Then Mary, who has worked in many aspects of healthcare, takes us through her own epiphany working for an executive who seemed to have two very different personalities (warm and harsh). Crediting her foray into studying (and teaching) mindfulness, she shares how she was able to deliberately step back—with an open heart— and pivot her approach with this leader to create a dramatically different relationship, both 1:1 and in group meetings. Mary also shares how she made the call to leave a “bad boss” (22:40).

Finally, Tony, who works in the public sector, opens up about his own journey as he’s a “leader of leaders” and developing what that looks like. He’s candid about his areas of growth—ceding control, setting expectations and engendering trust. In building Tony’s team, he and Molly talk about vulnerability as a must for trust, and connecting as human beings (all with strengths and weaknesses) to support each other’s success. “Measuring” our degree of connection/relationship also came up, and Molly offers ways to consider this both quantitatively and qualitatively (39:20). Enjoy these thought-provoking conversations—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Molly’s thought for the week:

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 189 is the 38th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. In hearing the life journeys of people you might not otherwise encounter, you’ll gain empathetic understanding for what may be a very different experience of what it means to grow up, go to school, struggle, work and live in our world. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. In this episode, Molly is joined by Abeer Abu Ghaith, a champion in social activism and creating economic opportunities for her fellow Palestinians and people in the MENA region through her entrepreneurial ventures and technological knowledge. Abeer joins the show to share her story, living in a refugee camp until age 12 and being in a conflict zone the majority of her life. She opens up about personal struggles and the ups and downs of being the “first high-tech women entrepreneur” in Palestine. Don’t miss insights from a bright soul who sees doors where others see walls. Abeer inspires us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 188, Molly’s

As a youth, Larry learned work ethos and drive to chart his own path. His dad, growing up poor in NYC and trained as a doctor through the US Army, was very hard on him and 3 siblings; his mom provided business sense as the firm household manager. Moving 5 times in just 7-½ years, Larry learned adapting and starting over. This was also reinforced by a pivotal time in 7th grade. Partners of his father’s medical practice reneged on their promise to make him partner. At that point, his parents chose to control their destiny—to leave Columbia, SC for the town of Newbury and start a private practice.

Molly’s thought for the week: Mistakes are the portals of discovery

Listen to the full episode here:

And learn more about Larry and his firm’s financial planning and investment management!

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 187 is the 37th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. In this episode, Molly is joined by Farhana Hasan, a technology and data specialist who was a senior leader in global aviation for almost 20 years. At Delta Air Lines she led the technology implementation for partnership development, responsible for technology implementation with 23 different airlines around the world. She joins the show to talk about her journey and give an inside look at HerWILL, which she founded to highlight and elevate talented women for better opportunities. Don’t miss insights from a long-time leader and advocate for women. Farhana inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week: When there’s a WILL, there’s a way.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 186 features Brian Requarth, who joins the show to share his rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey, including the ups and downs of co-founding Viva Real, which faced early fundraising problems, saw Brian step down as CEO to be more present in his family life, and eventually sold for over $600 million. He also talks about what he’s up to nowadays, such as how he enables other entrepreneurs to succeed. Don’t miss insights from his long career, including the importance of being comfortable with rejection (which he learned from working a telemarketer job), how necessity forces creative solutions, and the power of vulnerability and transparency as an entrepreneur. Brian inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week: If you want money, ask for advice; if you want advice, ask for money. We don’t get there alone.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 185 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. First, Grace rejoins the show after two years, having earned her PhD, which included time in Los Angeles and South Africa. She compares and contrasts her experiences as a Chinese academic professional. While her US education was primarily with white men and women, she gained greater appreciation for how diverse the US is compared to her time in Africa. Then Natalie, who hails from Malta and currently lives in Qatar, shares her myriad transitions in supporting her husband’s career moves—a bounty of learnings in earning two master degrees, numerous career shifts and raising two boys. She talks about the power of self-reflection in her journey, struggles to prioritize her own self-care, and how service and philanthropy have ultimately given her more than she feels she’s given to others (16:05). And Roger exudes gratitude for finally landing his dream job in academia, which includes creating opportunities to support underrepresented youths and create on ramps to higher education. Many unexpected twists, turns and disappointments along the way to his latest triumph. In his latest move, while being the lone male on a team with 11 women might not seem so easy, hear what presented the most challenge for Roger in taking on his latest role (30:30)! The show wraps with everyone’s thoughts on how diversity is a win-win. Indeed we best “serve the whole” by learning to embrace our differences and gain empathy for each other’s human experience. Enjoy these thought-provoking conversations.—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Molly’s thought for the week: “Energy flows from commitment.” —George Leonard