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THE BOLT Podcast
THE BOLT Podcast episodes
- How to Break Out of the Sea of Sameness and Become Unforgettable with Jason Zygadlo
What makes someone stand out in a crowded job market, competitive industry, or rapidly changing world? In this episode, we explore how personal branding, resilience, and intentional action can help people create new opportunities and build meaningful careers. The conversation covers overcoming setbacks, navigating career transitions, building trust, creating memorable customer experiences, and why growth often requires stepping outside of comfort zones. Listeners will learn practical ways to differentiate themselves, strengthen relationships, and create lasting impact both professionally and personally.
Key Takeaways
- Success often requires leaving comfortable situations to pursue meaningful growth.
- Personal branding is about clearly communicating what makes you different and valuable.
- Career setbacks can become opportunities to reevaluate priorities and purpose.
- Building trust creates long-term opportunities that transactions alone cannot.
- Small acts of intentionality can have a lasting impact on relationships and customer experiences.
- Standing out requires more than qualifications; it requires memorable action.
- Personalized communication helps create stronger connections and credibility.
- Growth happens when people challenge themselves instead of staying comfortable.
- Resilience is built through adversity, reflection, and consistent effort.
- The most successful professionals focus on serving others and creating value.
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/how-to-break-out-of-the-sea-of-sameness-with-jason-zygadlo
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/ https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/ https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
1 hr 18 min - The Secret to Leadership and Work-Life Harmony with Andre Young
In this episode, we explore why leadership is one of the most important skills people are rarely taught. The conversation covers burnout, difficult conversations, work-life harmony, self-awareness, and practical habits that help people lead more effectively at work and at home. Listeners will learn how to improve communication, build stronger relationships, avoid common leadership mistakes, and create intentional growth through simple daily actions.
Key Takeaways
- Many people are promoted because they perform well, not because they know how to lead.
- Leadership requires learning how to have both casual and difficult conversations.
- Burnout often comes from unresolved personal and professional challenges.
- Making time for intentional self-reflection can accelerate personal growth.
- The way you start your morning can influence the rest of your day.
- Daily habits have a greater impact than occasional moments of motivation.
- Strong leaders create trust before they need to have difficult conversations.
- Work-life harmony is more realistic and sustainable than work-life balance.
- People are more likely to follow leaders who show genuine care and concern.
- Small changes in communication can significantly improve relationships and workplace culture.
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/secret-to-leadership-work-life-harmony-with-andre-young/
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
1 hr 1 min - Empowering Women to Lead Fearlessly with Hope Yin
This episode explores how leaders can navigate personal hardship, career pressure, identity shifts, and rapid technological change without losing themselves in the process. The conversation covers resilience, empathy, women in leadership, intentional living, and the future of AI in the workplace. Listeners will learn practical ways to lead with more humanity, build confidence through difficult seasons, support working parents and women in leadership roles, and adapt to the growing influence of artificial intelligence while staying grounded in purpose and relationships.
Key Takeaways
- Resilience grows through difficult seasons
- Empathy makes leaders more effective
- Relationships matter more than status
- Flexible workplaces build trust
- Women leaders need better support systems
- Leadership is not one-size-fits-all
- Fear and growth often happen together
- AI fluency is becoming essential
- Intentional living creates clarity
- Self-trust drives personal growth
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/empowering-women-to-lead fearlessly-with-hope-yin
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
1 hr 8 min - What Got You Here Is Holding You Back: The Slow Drift Into Misalignment with Megan Leasher
What if the real issue isn’t burnout—but misalignment?
In this episode of the BOLT, I sit down with Megan Leasher, organizational psychologist and executive coach, to explore why high achievers often feel stuck when what made them successful stops working. Together, they unpack how workplace disruption creates internal shifts, how to spot early warning signs, and how to realign with purpose and growth.
Topics We Discussed
- Why high achievers get stuck at the next level
- What disruption looks like for leaders today
- Misalignment vs. burnout and disengagement
- Recognizing early “smoke signals”
- The role of trust between leaders and teams
- How coaching uncovers the real issue
- Habits that hold leaders back
- Delegation and empowerment
- Body signals of stress and misalignment
- Fear, identity, and reframing challenges
- Why leadership development starts too late
- The power of pause and reflection
- Building a “support army”
- The key question: Where do I want to be?
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/the-slow-drift-into-misalignment-with-megan-leasher
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
1 hr 5 min - Your Inner Critic Is Costing You More Than You Think with Christopher Salem
Leadership doesn’t break down during the easy moments—it breaks down under pressure.
In this episode of The BOLT, Todd Bertsch sits down with emotional intelligence and communication expert Christopher Salem to unpack what really drives performance when things get hard. From the inner critic and imposter syndrome to communication breakdowns and culture challenges, this conversation goes deep into the inner work required to lead effectively.
Chris shares his powerful journey from corporate leadership to personal transformation, revealing how mental fitness, emotional intelligence, and disciplined habits create the space to respond with clarity instead of reacting with stress.
If you want to lead better, communicate more effectively, and build a culture that actually performs—this episode delivers the mindset shift you’ve been missing.
Topics Discussed
- Chris’s journey from purchasing to sales and discovering the power of communication
- A personal turning point: addiction, loss, and rebuilding from the inside out
- Understanding the inner critic and how it silently limits growth
- Strengthening the “inner champion” through daily habits and discipline
- Why high performers plateau—and how to break through
- Emotional intelligence as the foundation for peak performance
- The importance of creating space to respond instead of react
- Leading with intention vs. reacting from habit
- Operating in the solution by focusing on what you can control
- Why communication breakdowns cost companies millions (and how to fix it)
- How assumptions and speculation create toxic workplace cultures
- The role of psychological safety in engagement, retention, and performance
- Why leaders must set aside ego and model vulnerability
- A powerful leadership principle: give without expectation, receive without resistance
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/what-your-inner-critic-is-costing-you-with-christopher-salem/
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
57 min - Why Empathy Wins in Leadership with Dr. Melissa Robinson
Empathy is often dismissed as “soft” until you see its impact on trust, retention, and performance. In this episode, Todd sits down with Dr. Melissa Robinson to explore why empathy is one of the most overlooked yet powerful leadership skills.
After experiencing toxic leadership firsthand, Melissa rebuilt her career around understanding human connection and helping leaders create environments where people can actually thrive. This conversation breaks empathy down into a practical, actionable skill that drives real business results.
Topics Discussed- Dr. Melissa Robinson’s journey from musician and professor to empathy researcher after years in a toxic workplace
- Why empathy is not about feelings, but about perspective-taking and understanding others
- How cognitive empathy functions as strategic thinking for leaders
- The hidden impact of perfectionism and imposter syndrome on culture and psychological safety
- Melissa’s four-step self-empathy framework: self-observation, self-reflection, self-awareness, and self-compassion
- How simple actions like apology and repair can build trust and strengthen relationships
- Why empathy and accountability can coexist without lowering standards
- A practical tool to make empathy actionable: “name their outcome”
- The power of the pause to improve emotional regulation, curiosity, and decision-making
- Why creativity and innovation require space, just like music requires silence
- How leaders shape culture through their everyday actions and behaviors
Key Takeaway
Empathy isn’t a weakness. It’s a leadership skill that, when practiced intentionally, creates stronger teams, healthier cultures, and better results.https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/why-empathy-wins-in-leadership-with-melissa-robinson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------If this conversation sparked something for you, share it with a leader on your team and leave a review so more people can discover it.
Curious how Positive Intelligence can support you or your team? Visit toddbertsch.com to learn more.Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
58 min - From Empty Success to Abundant Living with Drew Norton
You don’t forget the moment everything changes.
Drew Norton shares the night he walked into sirens, panic, and his six-month-old son barely breathing—and how that single moment rewired how he leads himself, his marriage, and his life. What follows is a raw, honest conversation about identity, presence, and the truth about success: it’s not what looks good on paper, it’s how you show up when it matters most.
We explore the shift from chasing external wins to building a life rooted in faith, family, fitness, and finance—and the small, intentional decisions that make that possible.
Topics We Cover
- The life-altering moment that redefined Drew’s leadership and priorities
- How crisis can spark self-awareness, growth, and deeper purpose
- Why leadership starts with leading yourself first
- The hidden cost of being “successful on paper” but absent at home
- Breaking the “I’ll be happy when” cycle and learning to be present now
- Redefining success through time, values, and relationships—not titles or income
- How personal development improved communication, marriage, and emotional intelligence
- Drew’s Abundant Man framework: identity, purpose, and battle plan
- The power of identity-based habits in creating lasting transformation
- Lessons from losing 100 pounds—discipline, belief, and sustainable change
- Rewiring limiting beliefs through daily identity statements and mindset shifts
- Mental fitness, self-awareness, and doing the internal work that drives external results
- Why “sales is life” and how selling is really about service, empathy, and clarity
- Leading teams through pressure, rejection, and high-performance environments
- Building abundance across faith, family, fitness, and finance—without sacrificing one for another
- The mission to impact millions of men by creating connection, support, and growth
Key Takeaway
Leadership isn’t a title—it’s a decision you make daily.
And the more you work on yourself, the better you show up for everyone else.Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
54 min - The Leadership Power of Putting Yourself First with Kathy Sullivan
In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd sits down with Kathy Sullivan—organizational development consultant, executive coach, and author of Moms Eat First—for a powerful conversation on leadership, emotional intelligence, and the human side of change. Kathy shares how her personal journey, professional experience, and hard-won lessons shaped her approach to sustainable growth, both at work and at home. Together, Todd and Kathy explore why real change is not about pushing harder, but about slowing down, reflecting honestly, and creating the space to lead with greater clarity, intention, and resilience.
From organizational transformation to personal well-being, this episode unpacks the systems, mindset shifts, and leadership behaviors that help change actually stick. Kathy introduces her five RE principles—Reflect, Rediscover, Reset, Reclaim, and Release—and explains how they can help anyone navigate disruption without losing themselves in the process.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Why sustainable change starts with putting your own oxygen mask on first
- The leadership cost of burnout, overwhelm, and operating in fight-or-flight
- Why organizations need a people plan, not just a technical change plan
- How emotional intelligence helps leaders turn pressure into presence
- The role of self-awareness, reflection, and honest feedback in growth
- Why change fatigue is real—and how leaders can create space for dialogue
- How manager mindset and leadership buy-in ripple through teams
- Kathy’s five RE principles for creating and sustaining meaningful change
- Reflection as a daily and weekly practice for clarity and better decisions
- How to rediscover possibilities when you feel stuck in constraints
- Resetting priorities and getting clear on what truly matters
- Reclaiming your goals in the face of outside influences and resistance
- Releasing control, comparison, and outdated expectations
- The importance of boundaries, accountability, and supportive community
- Why buy-in beats compliance when leading lasting change
- How negotiation skills help in difficult conversations and major life decisions
- Resilience as an iterative process—not a straight line or a perfect plan
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/leadership-power-of-putting-yourself-first-with-kathy-sullivan/
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
57 min - Why Smart Leaders Do Stupid Things with Michael Krumpak
In this episode, Todd Bertsch sits down with Michael E. Krumpak to challenge the myth that “smart” leadership is enough. Together, they unpack a practical, story-driven roadmap for building legendary leaders through psychological safety, empathy, growth mindset, disciplined decision making, and intentional delegation.
If you’ve ever seen a “perfect on paper” leader struggle when pressure rises, this conversation explains why — and what to do differently starting now.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- The difference between smart leadership and legendary leadership
- Why the bold title Why Smart Leaders Do Stupid Things resonates right now
- Disruption, burnout, and mindset as leadership data points
- The nine-vector Legendary Leader Flight Plan and how the vectors work together
- Liberation as psychological safety and its impact on culture
- Empathy as connection over correction
- Using 360s and assessments to uncover blind spots
- Decision-making lessons from Flight 401 and fixation under pressure
- Yielding, delegation, and how to truly elevate ownership
- How the book’s stories, black box reflections, and coaching questions create behavior change
You’ll walk away with actionable tactics, reflection prompts, and a clearer path from pressure to performance — from smart to legendary.
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/why-smart-leaders-do-stupid-things-with-michael-krumpak
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
56 min - From Change Management to Meaningful Change Leadership with Leslie Ellis
The hardest part of change isn’t the plan or the platform—it’s leadership. In this episode, Todd sits down with Leslie Ellis, CEO of Meaningful Change Consulting, to unpack why transformations stall and how leaders can turn constant disruption into a durable advantage. Drawing from work across dozens of organizations and nearly a million stakeholders, Leslie shares a powerful truth: change doesn’t fail because people resist—it fails when leaders stop listening. Together, they explore how mindset, alignment, and simple micro-shifts build trust, reduce rework, and create lasting impact.
Topics Discussed
- Leslie’s origin story and shift from execution-focused change to change leadership
- Why leader habits and blind spots quietly drain momentum and create rework
- The myth of change as a one-time event and why alignment beats speed
- Psychological safety, fail-fast learning, and building a learning culture
- Practical micro-shifts: listening first, asking open questions, and embracing silence
- Using resets, better language, and vulnerability to engage people in change
- Conscious business: designing for systemic health, not just short-term profit
- Building a “change muscle” so future transformations get easier
- Recommended reads and the types of leaders and organizations Leslie supports
- How to connect with Meaningful Change Consulting
If this conversation sparked something for you, share it with someone navigating change—and help more leaders find the show by subscribing and leaving a review.
https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/meaningful-change-leadership-with-leslie-ellis
Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
Follow us at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddbhttps://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com
58 min
About THE BOLT Podcast
From the publisher's feed
A leadership and personal growth podcast exploring how to navigate change, build mental fitness, and choose growth over comfort. Real conversations with leaders who turned insight into action and…
created lasting transformation.