Today’s episode goes deeper into one of the most important signals that has emerged from our work over the past year. The leaders who are truly flourishing are getting out from behind screens and into scenes.

That search for people who truly embody this practice is what led me to today’s guest, Kate Brigham. 

Kate’s career spans more than two decades across design, product, and research leadership in healthcare, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, data integration, fintech, education, and beyond, including transformative work at PatientsLikeMe. But what makes her story so compelling is not just where she has worked, it is how she has chosen to evolve.

After stepping away from traditional full-time roles, Kate intentionally shaped a portfolio focused on consulting, advising, investing, and building community in areas that feel deeply meaningful to her. In the process, she has helped cultivate one of the most active AgeTech and longevity communities on LinkedIn while also co-creating fast-growing in-person communities in Boston and across the country.

In this episode, you will hear about:

• Why successful leaders invest in scene work and intentional connection
• How Kate created the rooms she needed when they did not exist or needed to evolve
• Why curiosity leads the way before certainty arrives
• What AgeTech reveals about the future of aging and opportunity
• How storytelling shapes our relationship with longevity
• What burnout taught Kate about managing energy and pace
• How leaders can think about both the next quarter and the next decade

This is a thoughtful, grounding, and energizing conversation for anyone feeling the pull toward something more aligned, more connected, and more alive.

Press play and consider which scenes might help shape your next chapter.

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Connect with Kate on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/katebrigham)
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Host: Brady Sadler

Let's connect on LinkedIn

Show Art: Kyle Mosher

What does winning look when work is full of paradoxes?

Today I’m joined by my friend and longtime mentor of more than 20 years, Patrick Jones, a builder at heart and one of the most multidimensional creative leaders I know.

Patrick’s career has been spent at the intersection of education, media, and workforce innovation, helping people and organizations adapt to what’s next.

He’s a professor, consultant, and public servant, currently serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Investments for LACERA, where he helps steward over 85 billion dollars in assets for the largest pension fund in the country.

His path includes 25 years in management consulting, as well as faculty, and co-op leadership positions at Northeastern University.

He has also produced branded content and media projects for Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, and Nike, and his first documentary film, The Journey, about the power of asking for help, won the South by Southwest Documentary Award and received numerous other accolades.

Patrick embodies what we talk about so often on The Afternoon Shift: the belief that creativity, openness, and connection are the real levers for career growth and impact.

In this conversation, he shares how to play the inside-out game: how to stay open when uncertainty feels overwhelming, how to notice the signals others miss, and how to prepare for the moment when it’s time to take your shot.

This episode feels like a conversation with a great coach, part philosophy, part practicality, and all heart.

Dive in and explore how creative leaders like Patrick turn paradox into possibility.

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Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/patrickjonesmba
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Host: Brady Sadler

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Show Art: Kyle Mosher

In this episode, I dig into a leadership practice that can seem obvious but is far more nuanced than it looks, and I’ve come to believe it’s a critical discovery in our exploration of what it takes to go from fear to flow and uncertainty to optionality.

I'm now referring to the people who embody this as creative leaders.

These leaders aren’t stuck in silos. They’re out in scenes, collecting dots, building relationships, and fueling their creativity through curiosity and community.

Today I’m joined by Ace Bhattacharjya, an entrepreneur, consultant, self-proclaimed applied anthropologist, and someone who exemplifies this modern creative leadership. 

His career has spanned Ogilvy, the US Open, and advisory work at Harvard and MIT.

He's also my co-founder, alongside our friend Waseem Kawaf, of the Original Signal Salon. 

Together in this conversation, we explore the kinds of scenes that expand creativity, strengthen networks, and make career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Ace on LinkedIn

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Host: Brady Sadler

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Show Art: Kyle Mosher

When I think about career as a team sport, I can’t help but think back to my post-college internship at Disney and the lifelong friendships that started there.

That experience, grounded in Disney’s legendary Traditions training program, taught me the power of hospitality, purpose, and connection. It also introduced me to this week’s guest, Taylor Scott, a best-selling author, speaker, and founder of Lead With Hospitality, whose career has spanned Disney, Gaylord, Wynn, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to lead with hospitality, why EQ matters more than IQ, how empathy and acceptance help us realign with purpose, the creative bravery it takes to keep growing, and why great leaders and great brands succeed for the same reason: they make people feel something.

Let’s keep making career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Taylor and learn more about his services: https://leadwithhospitality.com/

Check out Taylor's latest venture, Lead With Hospitality Travel Group - https://www.instagram.com/leadwithhospitalitytravelgroup/ 

Dive into Taylor's books:

Ballgames to Boardrooms -Leadership, Business, and Life Lessons From Our Coaches We Never Knew We Needed

Lead With Hospitality - Be Human. Emotionally Connect. Serve Selflessly.

Give Hospitality - A fable, and hopeful story about what happens when we live, work, and love from a place of generosity.

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Host: Brady Sadler

Let's connect on LinkedIn

Show Art: Kyle Mosher

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to begin the next chapter? In this episode we sit down with longtime friend and powerhouse coach Katie Benway to explore what it takes to really begin a shift. 

Katie shares powerful tools for building emotional stamina, telling yourself the truth, and letting go of the need for certainty.

Whether you're in the thick of a career pivot or sensing something needs to change, this episode will help you reconnect with your inner voice and take that next right step.

In this conversation, you'll hear:
– Why emotional stamina is essential for any big shift
– The questions Katie asks clients before they make a move
– How creativity and spirituality overlap
– Why the "not yet" space is where growth begins
– Two simple rules for a spiritual life
– How to begin, and how to continue

Let’s keep making career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Katie and learn more about her services, her podcast, and he community: https://katiebenway.com/

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Host: Brady Sadler

Let's connect on LinkedIn

Show Art: Kyle Mosher

What if you could find the intersection of cutting technology with your personal passion and expertise?
 
And what if you could develop a reputation for learning, experimentation, and generously sharing your knowledge along the way?

Well, that's exactly what you'll learn from today's guest, Emmy-winning television producer Erich Archer.
 
He's has spent his career telling stories, from MTV and The Biggest Loser to small-town Massachusetts TV.

And now, he’s using generative AI to tell stories that were once impossible to make, and working with top brands like Netflix, LIV Golf, and more. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• The lessons from humbling career restarts.
• Why learning to edit again changed Erich's creative trajectory.
• How two “unlock moments” led him to realize the power of custom GPTs and AI video workflows.
• What marketers and storytellers miss when they look for one-to-one AI replacements instead of new creative lanes.
• How to combine your subject-matter expertise with AI as a force multiplier for your career.
• The importance of sharing your own behind-the-scenes work.
• Finding your scene, the power of IRL, and trusting you'll collide with fate.

This is a conversation about experimentation, humility, and how staying rooted in what you love can open new frontiers.

Whether you produce videos, lead content strategy, or manage a brand that tells stories (which, let’s face it, is every brand now), you’ll take a lot from this conversation.

You’ll see what real career evolution looks like in progress, and how Emmy-winning producer Erich Archer has become a sought-after voice at the intersection of AI and video production.

More importantly, you’ll learn how to find that intersection for yourself.

Let’s dive in, and let's keep making career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Erich on LinkedIn

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Host: Brady Sadler

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Show Art: Kyle Mosher

What does it take to really reinvent your career? This week's episode features a detailed breakdown of exactly that. 

After decades of success as a Hollywood producer, and later blending entertainment and tech in Silicon Valley, Derek Stoops found himself at a crossroads. Not long after launching his own production company, the phone stopped ringing. Covid, combined with a reckoning across Hollywood, forced him to consider an entirely new path.

At first, ego got in the way, as it does for most of us. Derek had been a VP at Sony, pioneering production methodologies and international dealmaking. Letting go of that identity wasn’t easy. 

Step one was simply getting out from behind his computer. He leaned into an interest in energy and sustainability and put one foot in front of the other. A few key moves followed: taking a class, applying to a local incubator, and humbling himself enough to be vulnerable with friends about the uncertainty he was facing. That openness led to more conversations, and more conviction around his new direction.

He also realized that his Hollywood experience was more transferable than he thought. Like so many of us who have worked in marketing, media, sports, and entertainment, he was a problem-solver, used to being proactive and learning as he went.

In this conversation, Derek shares not only how he came to that realization for himself, but also the tactical moves you can apply to your own shift.

Today, Derek is firmly planted in the energy sector. He is developing both expertise and a team of collaborators who focus on commercialization of IP rooted in academia, among other things.

I’m grateful to Derek for the openness he brought to this discussion, and for his friendship and support.

If something here resonates, don’t hesitate to reach out to him as well.

Let’s keep making career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Derek on LinkedIn

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Host: Brady Sadler

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Show Art: Kyle Mosher

By mid-career, Karen Kelly has reinvented herself more times than most people dare to dream.

From ad agency burnout in New York City, to scrubs and red tape as a speech pathologist, to moonlighting as a photographer, to running a seven-figure media business, to CMO and later President of a tech company, to volunteer community organizer and change-maker, to present day Co-Founder and CEO of Launch by Lunch, she has turned curiosity and resilience into her career compass.

In this conversation, Karen opens up about the roadblocks we create for ourselves, the power of listening to signals, and the surprising ways creativity and community can reshape what’s next. We dig into:

• Why “too many ideas” can be a superpower if you learn how to channel it.

• The moment she realized storytelling mattered more than the photo itself.

• Building a grassroots childcare solution in her hometown during the pandemic.

• Painkiller vs. vitamin thinking when launching new ventures.

• How to give yourself permission to pivot—and crystalize fleeting moments into something lasting.

If you’ve ever felt trapped by sunk costs, uncertain about your next season, or hesitant to put your work into the world before it feels ready, Karen’s story will give you both a framework and the encouragement to move forward.

Let’s keep making career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Karen on LinkedIn

Visit the website for her company, Launch by Lunch, to learn more about building with no-code tools and the community of leaders waiting for you to join them.

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Host: Brady Sadler

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Show Art: Kyle Mosher

What is it really like to work in professional sports?

Most of us only see the highlights: the packed arenas, the high-profile players, the big sponsorships. 

But behind the scenes, sports is one of the most intense training grounds in business. It is relentless, unpredictable, and filled with lessons that few other industries can offer, especially for marketing and media pros. 

Chris DiPierro knows this world better than most. He spent 15 years in professional sports, culminating in his role as Director of Marketing for the Boston Bruins. 

After leaving sports, he translated those lessons into the corporate world as Head of Global Market Development and Strategic Partnerships at Wipro. 

And today, he is the Founder & CEO of Cozelo Marketing Company, the ultimate insider resource for brands that want to align their goals with the right property, unlock the right assets, and generate the best return. 

In this conversation, Chris and I explore the reality of working in sports: the highs, the chaos, the exhaustion, and incredible lessons, including  unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories from his Bruins days - like the playoff moment when thousands of rally towels accidentally shipped to Austin instead of Boston.

We also talk about the current job market, the power of creative collabs, the mindset required to be an independent consultant, experimenting with AI, and much more.

If you have ever wondered what sports can teach us about resilience, creativity, and brand-building, this episode is for you.

Let’s keep making career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

Visit the website for his consultancy Cozelo, to learn more about how to work with him to make sure your partnerships perform.

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Host: Brady Sadler

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Show Art: Kyle Mosher

If you’re leading a company, department, or team, this conversation is for you.

If you’re running your own consultancy, doing fractional work, or guiding clients in your role at an agency, you’re in the right place.

And if you believe in the power of self expression and the opportunity to make an impact by leaning into your own creativity, yes, this is a must-listen.

I met this week's guest, Deo Mwano, over 15 years ago.

He was still in school, but already making waves as a leader and creator. 

I can still remember being in the room, memorized, as he delivered his TedX speech and dance performance in 2011, sharing his incredible personal journey, and ultimately his mission to help inspire, motivate, and make a positive impact.   

Well, today he’s delivering on that mission as a creator, entrepreneur, consultant, advisor, tech founder, educator, choreographer, musician, community leader, father and so much more.  

We dig into concrete lessons for leadership, including a 3-step process Deo uses in his own work helping leaders: 1) Self Reflection 2) Validation 3) Adaptability 

We go through individual case studies of his work with specific individuals. 

We also go deep into a specific negotiation and how Deo stayed true to his values.

And of course we talk about his technology company, MirrorIM, and how he’s helping people tap into their intrinsic motivators to learn, grow, and change. 

But my favorite part is when Deo shares what motivates him to be so prolific in his own creative process, why he wants us all to remember the power and opportunity we have as creators, especially right now given the rise of AI. 

And finally, what it looks like when he’s in flow making music.  

This is a totally unique and valuable episode, and I’m extremely grateful to Deo for sharing his expertise and wisdom. 

Let’s keep making career more of a team sport.

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Connect with Deo on LinkedIn

Visit the website for his consultancy DMC, to learn more about how to work with him in a one-on-one or group setting

Check out Deo's tech company to help you and your company accomplish more: MirrorIM

Watch Deo's TedX Talk
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Host: Brady Sadler

Let's connect on LinkedIn

Show Art: Kyle Mosher