The Inspire Podcast

In this kickoff episode of Season 4 of The Inspire Podcast Bart speaks with Susan Black of the Conference Board of Canada about the challenges facing today's leaders. Drawing on the CBOC's deep research capabilities, Susan shares insights into the major pressures facing leaders across all sectors -- from talent management to a return to premises to DEI and the future of work. She provides suggestions on how leaders can navigate and inspire through these challenges with practical examples. A must-listen for leaders who want to engage and inspire in this ever-changing work environment.

00:55 Welcoming Susan

01.30 What is the Conference Board of Canada?

04.04 Wicked Problems

05:21 What are the big challenges leaders are facing these days?

05:35 Turnover rates

06:16 Absenteeism

07:00 How do I keep my people engaged?

07:57 Advice around keeping employees

09:35 Structure for resilience

12:12 Advice for talent management

13:50 Shift to virtual and digital

14:23 People's comfort levels with covid risk

14:49 Bringing people together

15:29 Will we go back to the office after Covid?

16:46 Generational differences and expectations

18:28 Research on generational diversity

20:17 Advice about leading in these times?

20:46 Prioritize the "check-in"

22:45 Managerial demands have risen

23:29 DEI research

26:16 Diversity is about everyone, and that includes white men

27:29 Fears of backlash against DEI

28:36 Continue the dialogue

29:38 Keep people talking

31:25 Stumbling through and be forgiving of people as they learn about DEI

32:20 The Future of Work

33:08 Everyone is going to have multiple careers

34:23 Final thought for leaders... How to grow personally

35:27 Have your values front and center

35:38 Crisis of character in leadership bodies across the board

36:07 A return to character driven leadership is required

37:06 Thank you / Goodbyes

37:54 Outro

In this episode Bart speaks with Casper Wong about his journey to create the United Nation of Cyclists, a race team whose mission it is to promote diversity and inclusion. Casper, whose day job is COO and Co-Founder of Financeit, came to cycling late in life but quickly caught a passion for the sport. In his interview with Bart, he shared his personal experience of loving the sport but feeling like its homogeneity made it hard to feel included and at home. He connected with others who felt the same, and the result was their organic creation of a race team that today is taking an active role in promoting equity in the sport while giving back. Casper's experience and UNC's rapid growth highlights the underlying demand for change in cycling and shows that this sport does not need a one size fits all approach.

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart interviews the CEO and Founder of Cheekbone Beauty, an Indigenous-owned and founded cosmetics brand. Despite having no background in the beauty industry, Jenn had a vision to create a brand that gave representation to Indigenous youth and started the business from scratch in 2016. As she built her business she worked hard to invest in and give back to her community, and today has donated more than $150,000 to a variety of organizations support Indigenous youth and the environment. Jenn tells Bart about how her own personal journey to overcome substance abuse and to authentically represent her Indigenous identity fuelled and shaped her entrepreneurial spirit. Her story has lessons for anyone with the dream to start something from scratch, and anyone who wants to support voices who are underrepresented in the world today.

In this episode Bart speaks to Prof. Gervase Bushe about his work in understanding of why change fails and the many mistaken assumptions around leading change leaders have. Gervase shares his model for Generative Change and explains practically how leaders can use it to harness the thinking and engagement of their people. A must listen in this time of continual transformation for any leader grappling with what it takes to reach and inspire their people.

What's the most pressure you've ever been under?" For his latest book, The Power of Pressure, Third Factor's CEO Dane Jensen, asked this question to thousands of people, from Olympic athletes and Navy SEALS to over-worked managers and busy parents, and discovered that while each experience is unique, pressure has patterns. These patterns are somewhat counter-intuitive, but once we learn to recognize them we can learn to use the energy that accompanies pressure to thrive. In short, pressure can be a wind at our back instead of a weight on our shoulders.

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast (recorded live on November 3, 2021) Bart interviews Dane about what it takes to perform in peak moments of pressure, and how to bring renewed energy to tackle the biggest sources of pressure in your life.

00:00 Teaser

00:20 Inspire Podcast intro

00:58 Welcome

01:38 What is the Inspire Podcast?

02:21 Niagara Institute & Third Factor

02:53 About Dane

03:28 Book: The Power of Pressure

04:27 The Magic Portal

04:38 What’s the most pressure you’ve ever been under?

06:25 How did people answer that question?

06:54 Examples of pressure

09:39 Participants share their pressure moments

12:17 The experiences that people bring…

13:05 Collective experience of pressure

13:51 What do all these experiences share?

15:24 Dane’s research into pressure

16:12 Pressure is a double-edged sword

17:23 The pressure equation: Importance

17:56 The pressure equation part 2: Uncertainty

20:19 The modern world – volume of important/uncertain moments

22:10 Pressure of the grind

24:30 How to manage these elements

25:22 Difference between peak performance and the grind

26:37 The path to importance

27:04 Growth, Contribution and Connection

28:24 Peak pressure – disconnect a bit

28:52 The duality of importance

30:19 Focus on what’s not important during performance

30:47 Uncertainty

36:02 What can leaders do to help people with stress?

37:25 Create certainty around process not outcome

40:34 Group Q&A

41:04 Volume

42:33 Time management is a trap

47:35 How does this understanding or pressure change what leaders need to think about?

48:29 Leaders need to shape pressure to be effective

51:45 Thank yous

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart is joined by Darrin Tulley, Founder and CEO of Ignite Happy, to talk about what it takes to inspire yourself and others. Prior to founding Ignite Happy Darrin spent 25 years in corporate America, rising to senior executive roles...and learning a lot about himself along the way. Darrin shares his journey with Bart, where he came to realize that his relentless focus on numbers, performance and results led to negative impacts on the people he worked with, less connection with others and a lack of joy for himself. He explains how a career epiphany led him to reexamine his assumptions and ultimately to a new path at work. He explains how to be the CEO of your own path, to find a spark in your own life and to rewire yourself for inspiration and happiness.

00:01 Teaser

00:14 Inspire Intro

01:46 Introducing Darrin

02:43 Personal history – how he got here

03:19 Early focus on numbers and performance

04:17 Example of how people got hurt by approach

04:35 Darrin’s awakening moment

05:35 DEI retreat

08:30 Hot take questions

10:19 What happened after DEI retreat

11:27 The pink pen

12:13 From DEI event to his own company

13:15 Leaving his former job

14:06 Any pushbacks?

15:44 Joy at work…

16:18 People want to help each other – and be able to trust each other

17:20 Tap into the potential of the organization

17:50 How to build a culture of trust

19:02 The power of authenticity

20:05 Biggest mistakes in new approach

20:30 Not enough communication or diversity of opinion

21:16 Why start a new company?

21:49 Moment with my daughter

23:04 Finding joy

24:34 Business: Ignite Happy

24:50 Book – Live Your Possible

25:01 Living with a higher purpose and authentic self

26:55 What should people ask themselves?

27:17 What are your beliefs?

28:38 Are you willing to be open minded and curious?

29:32 Bart talks about authenticity

30:51 Stories about opening up

32:44 Bart summarizes path

34:08 Childhood experiences

34:17 Be the CEO of your own path

36:48 Thank yous

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart speaks with Sarah Beech, Area Executive President, Central Canada at Gallagher. In the first half of the interview, Sarah shares her story of developing a strong leadership compass through two decades in the insurance industry. From a big company to a smaller one and back to a big one (Gallagher) Sarah explains that her leadership philosophy -- leading authentically, hearing and empowering voices at all levels, and a continued commitment to listening -- has helped her thrive through a varied set of organizations. Sarah then explains what Gallagher is learning about what employees want today. She explains that employees don't just want pay, or benefits, or a job, but rather a full experience that engages and energizes them. She shares insights from Gallagher's advice to leaders on what they can do to reach, retain and inspire employees in this new world.

00:51 Welcome

01:17 Who she is and position

01:54 About Gallagher

02:48 Changes in caring for workforces

03:09 Annual trends survey

03:31 The cost of looking after employees

04:02 How she got into this career

05:42 Leadership role?

06:48 Everyone can be a leader

07:42 Who inspired you to be a leader?

09:01 First management role

09:37 Managing an org spread across the country

11:14 Challenges with new leadership role

11:24 How important your words are

11:43 Always get your writing reviewed

13:16 Speaking on behalf of the organization

14:00 Going from Hewet to new company

14:15 Handling a merger

15:26 Dealing with a change in leadership culture

16:05 Problems with command and control model

17:29 Building trust

18:53 Going global

20:18 Speak with confidence but listen really hard

20:40 Listening

21:22 Paint the picture of the future

21:49 Pandemic challenges

24:01 Change it up

24:32 Ask your people – is this working?

25:14 Don’t underestimate how people feel

26:38 How often should leader be talking to employees

26:46 Engagement surveys

27:02 Shorter pulse survey every couple of months

27:35 Bite sized communication

27:48 Give feedback quickly

28:36 Advice about communication

29:19 Use stories when possible

30:09 Use social media tools much better

31:05 Look at the employee’s whole experience

31:55 Thank yous

33:14 OUTTRO

00:39 Live show promo

01:30 Welcome

03:13 Personal backstory

05:40 What was your first job?

07:13 Curiosity

08:40 Yellow Pages

11:15 Early stages of company

12:34 Sell services – figure out how to deliver afterwards

13:50 Hiring the team

14:53 What it’s like at the company

16:40 Workshops on personal stuff

19:36 John Vuong’s philosophy

19:56 Clarity

20:54 Example of goal-setting session

23:04 Shopify quote about family v team

26:32 Community service

28:58 Positive effects on retention

30:59 Book recommendations?

31:29 Thanks

31:52 OUTTRO

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart interviews entrepreneur John Vuong about his unique philosophy around lifelong learning and how it infuses his approach to employee retention and engagement. John shares with Bart his story of growing up with very little and hustling to achieve success in sales. As he progressed in his career he realized he was driven by a desire to learn and grow, and when he set out to found his company Local SEO Search he brought that commitment to his own growth and eventually to the team he built. Today John invests time, energy and passion in helping his team learn in ways that enrich their lives. In this interview John shares his philosophy and offers advice for other leaders who want to go beyond "the basics" to really help their people grow.

year ago Wes Hall engaged Corporate Canada in a mission to end anti-Black systemic racism. Using a business-first mindset, the organization has achieved much in its first year, and yet much is left to be done. In this interview Bart talks with Dahabo Ahmed Omer, BlackNorth's inaugural executive director, about the journey that led her to joining the organization, what she's learned and her advice for those who want to act as allies. In a far-ranging interview Dahabo offers both realism about the depths of systemic racism and the need to undo it, and optimism about what is possible. She ends the interview by sharing some practical advice for anyone wondering, "what can I do to help?". A must-listen for anyone passionate about leadership.

00:01 Teaser

00:49 Introducing the guest

01:35 What is Black North

03:42 Mandate of Black North

05:18 Not just a problem in the US

06:50 Dahabo's story

07:21 Civil war in Somalia

10:04 Dedicate life to serving community

10:25 What do you do if you have privilege?

13:24 The hiring process at Black North

17:12 The experience of black Canadians applying for jobs

18:04 Untapped talent

20:12 First year at Black North

20:44 Establishing the mission and mandate

21:52 In it for the long haul

22:08 Collaborative Approach vs Blame & Shame

23:20 Creating sense of family and duty

24:20 Other 1st year achievements

25:11 Incremental change

25:43 Partnerships

26:47 Kids help phone

26:56 Mental health stigma in Black community

27:54 Access to opportunity -- Ryerson

29:57 Biggest 1st year frustration

31:05 Change takes time...

33:10 Getting it right

33:29 Advice for people who want to do something

34:19 Am I part of the problem?

39:57 Guilt and Shame for the privileged

42:16 Uncomfortable conversations are necessary

43:26 2nd thing people can do...

43:34 What are you going to do about it?

44:37 Takeaways

47:29 Thank you

48:31 Outro

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart interviews Christopher Farris Zabaneh about why mindfulness is an increasingly critical skill for leaders to master. Chris shares his journey from starting his career as an engineer, to leaving to pursue work on mindfulness and to bringing what he learned to his work with clients at The Humphrey Group. Chris shares lessons that are practical including the difference between "mindful" and "mind-full", "seeing calm and being calm" and finding rituals to clear the mind. Whether you're trying to calm your nerves before a critical speaking engagement or become more connected with your authentic leadership voice this episode will help you unlock your ability to inspire.

00:02 Teaser

00:19 Standard show intro

00:58 Welcome/Opening

01:49 How they met

02:53 About Chris

03:50 From Engineering to Mindfulness and Meditation

04:17 "Am I being authentic?"

07:10 Why go to the retreat?

08:40 Transitioning back into life after the 2-year hiatus

10:25 200-day moving average

10:59 3 Big Takeaways from time working on THE SELF

11:15 1) Is your mind full or are you being mindful

11:47 2) It's always something deeper

12:18 "See calm, be calm"

12:25 3) Rituals Matter

13:10 Bart circles back on "mindful" instead of full mind...

13:46 How do you clear your mind?

13:55 Recommend Vipassana Meditation retreat

14:22 Be the scientist of your own mind...

15:51 Breathing techniques...

16:24 Bart Circling back on rituals...

17:38 How to coach leaders on their mindfulness and authenticity

18:00 Assessment

18:24 How do you prepare yourself for certain activities

19:18 Transpose...

20:23 Coaching session with Bart

22:44 Trick your body by transposing...

24:17 Parasympathetic nervous system

25:49 Breathing exercise coaching double box breath

39:26 Recommended starting point for listeners

41:24 Thank you