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 184 features the inspiring Dave Clark. Dave joins the show to share a healthy dose of inspiration with his story of overcoming the odds. He was diagnosed with Polio at 10 months old but didn’t let that stop him from dreaming AND doing. Through hard work and dedication, Dave proved himself worthy of a shot in the minor leagues where he had a 17 year playing career, finding success as the only player in professional sports history to pitch from crutches. Don’t miss insights and stories from Dave’s journey, including his mindset as a child with Polio, how he found brotherhood in his teammates after being just “tolerated” to start, and what went down in his career highlight game. Dave 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.

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 183 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. Amanda calls in first, and her company has thrived the past few years by embracing change and continues to be in high growth mode. She’s excited about change, though has team members who seem averse to it. Amanda and Molly talk through how to understand the root of the disagreement, and the difference between all “agreeing” vs “aligning” on change. They also review key conditions for successful change. Next Ray, who works in government and leads a high-performing team, is charged up about innovating around feedback, including introducing a way to solicit 360 input from stakeholders across the organization. He’s mindful though, of not overstepping as has been in his new role for a year. Ray and Molly start with his own attitude on performance conversations, including worries, and how “transparency is our friend.” They also offer the aspirational opportunity of feedforward (Thank you Marshall Goldsmith!). (12:05) Then, Staci, who realized college wasn’t for her, and entered the trades inquiries about “climbing the corporate ladder” in a male-dominated profession without a college degree. Staci and Molly talk about her self-confidence and willingness to take the bull by the horn as tremendous assets. Keen to have her ideas taken seriously and feel heard, we go through what and how to communicate in ways where this comes through (34:10)! Don’t miss these top-of-mind conversations on all career phases—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: “Obstacles do not block the path, they are the path.” —Anonymous

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 182 Molly talks with entrepreneur, executive and early-stage investor Naveed Lalani. He joins the show to share his story, starting his entrepreneurial ventures at just 10 years old after moving to the US from Pakistan. Don’t miss a heartwarming account of how Naveed took risks in pursuit of the American dream and found his own path to success. He inspires us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves.

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 181, Molly talks with Jason Reid, a successful leader, entrepreneur and CEO coach who became an activist on a mission to end teen suicide after the tragic loss of his 14-year-old son. He’s an amazing advocate for owning our kid’s mental health and will share what he’s learned about himself and others through his organization, “Tell My Story”. Don’t miss an inside look at an emotional journey that will leave you inspired to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. For more about Tell My Story, visit https://www.chooselife.org/home.

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 180 is the 36th 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 Grace Francisco. Grace is a sought-after speaker, CMO and Head of Developer Relations at Pangea and was previously the VP of Developer Strategy at Cisco. Grace joins the show to share her journey, opening up about her struggle with making friends in her early years—crediting American TV as her human connection. Don’t miss her inspiring evolution of going from “painfully shy” to speaking to thousands of people on center stage. Grace includes her tips on being comfortable in your own skin, as well as insights from her leadership roles throughout the years. She 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. Sharing my thought for the week, on embracing diversity, from President Martha Pollack at Cornell University (Thank you Robert Glazer for sharing!): “Learning to engage with difficult and challenging ideas is a core part of a university education: essential to our students’ intellectual growth, and to their future ability to lead and thrive in a diverse society. As such, permitting our students to opt out of all such encounters, across any course or topic, would have a deleterious impact both on the education of the individual student and on the academic distinction of a Cornell degree.”

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 179 features Brennan O’Dowd, owner and operator of Raleigh Paint & Improvement. Brennan collapsed into a heroin and Xanax addiction after struggling in his post-college years. He opens up about being at rock bottom and finding the light at the end of the tunnel in painting. Brennan sold his car, clothes and anything else he could find for his first paint van, and through hard work and dedication built a now 5-star rated painting company from the ground up. Tune in to this episode for a personal account of Brennan’s rollercoaster ride of a journey, as well as tips for creating a successful business and staying sober despite an addictive personality. Brennan 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, from Brennan: Failure is the key to the door of success. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough.

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 178 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. Her first caller, Arthur, who volunteer-coaches a youth robotics team, calls in first about a recent not-so-helpful team dynamic. The team made it to the world championships (kudos!) and during the festivities, one young team member boasted about essentially “carrying the team” to their achievement. Hear Arthur and Molly discuss how to apply the Say It Skillfully Me–You–We framework, so he lets go of his (understandable) annoyance and turns a “negative” dynamic into a powerful learning experience for all. Then Maggie shares her struggle in “overthinking”, which makes it harder to give simple and direct feedback to those she’s mentoring. Maggie and Molly talk about the power of establishing her own intention—as one supporting another’s growth—and “transparency is your friend”. Big congratulations to Maggie for being promoted as well, making the transition from individual contributor to formal leader! We also discuss how to take advantage of the team’s early days to connect as human beings and co-create how best to collaborate and support each other’s growth. (16:40) Lastly, Greg, in his early 60’s, shares his experience in interviewing. He’s open about wrestling with people’s perception of being “end of career” and how to reinforce one’s clear skills, expertise and experience. He talks about dismissive behavior in a recent group zoom interview. Molly offers ways to “hold your own and lead yourself first” and not let others diminish your value add. Greg reinforces the need to maintain focus and be patient in the transition process. And a key takeaway is nurturing your network every day! (37:00) Don’t miss these top-of-mind conversations on all career phases—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: “Make a choice to build a life you don’t regularly need to escape from.” —Venus Williams

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 177 features former professional tennis player and grand slam champion, Murphy Jensen. Murphy joins the show to recount his heartwarming experience of against all odds recovering from alcohol, drugs, and a near-death cardiac arrest. Don’t miss top takeaways from Murphy’s journey including the importance of open-mindedness and the notion that the teacher appears when the student is ready. He also tells stories from his pro tennis days and talks about his current endeavors in helping people be happier and healthier. Murphy 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.

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 176 features public relations master Art Stevens. Art joins the show to share his journey to the top in the world of PR. He talks about being unexpectedly promoted to PR director at age 25, and shares the ins and outs of owning and running a top PR company. Also, Art goes in depth on his upbringing and battle within to find “the real him”. Don’t miss insights from a true communications expert on the best way to convey a message and more… Art 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: Believe in yourself – don’t let anyone or anything think you’re not good enough.

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 175 is the 35th 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 the inspiring Cordell Carter. Cordell is a speaker and board advisor who brings more than 20 years to his pursuit of a society in which everyone truly belongs. He curates over 3 dozen leadership seminars each year, spreading his knowledge to thousands of leaders. He joins the show to share his story, from a religious childhood to becoming a champion for change in many fields. Don’t miss Cordell’s valuable thoughts on belonging, leveraging technology for greater impact and what leaders can do to lead more effectively. He 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 thoughts for the week: “Practice makes you better.” & “The best revenge is living well.”