The Inspire Podcast

In this episode, Bart speaks with entrepreneur Phil Neil, who shares his extraordinary story of building his company from $200K in revenue to $70 million and the gauntlet of challenges he faced along the way. Phil opens up about the painful realities behind the headlines: a $5M scam during the pandemic, a devastating warehouse fire, and the collapse of major contracts.

He reflects on what he calls the “Shadow of Entrepreneurship™”, feelings of uncertainty, fear and unworthiness that trigger emotional reactivity, and undermine decision quality. It’s a shadow that affects not only entrepreneurs but leaders at every level. Phil discusses how this struggle can impact mental health and derail even the most promising careers and shares why every entrepreneur and leader needs to be equipped to face it. He also introduces the solution he's termed the Courage Compass™. A framework he’s developed to help leaders better understand themselves, their decision-making patterns, manage uncertainty, and navigate through the shadow to thrive.

Visit Phil's website to learn more: http://philneil.com/

Check out his company, The Courage Compass: http://courage-compass.com/

And connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippe-neil/

Show Notes:

00:30 Introducing Phil

01:03 Hero journey of self-discovery

02:17 The failure crossroad

04:21 From masks to natural gloves

06:19 The painful experiences towards success

07:58 Scam/conflict

08:50 Founder conflict emerged

09:57 Story

11:12 Victim of organized crime

12:17 The fire

13:34 The awakening

15:22 Launched a company to change culture of entrepreneurship

16:17 The Courage Compass Company

16:43 98% of founders fail on their first biz

17:20 Mental health issues are high in founders

17:37 Bart talks about his experiences with starting businesses

18:35 How to know if your self-management is not optimal

20:09 Uncertainty 

21:12 Bart talks about the increasing uncertainty of the market

22:08 The Courage Compass

23:34 Shifting from hope to courage

23:57 Connecting to intuition

24:42 The problem with data thinking

26:25 Courage comfort zone

28:07 How can people find out more and connect with Phil

33:09 Thank yous

35:25 Outro

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart welcomes Vanessa Bragg, Leadership Coach and consultant at The Humphrey Group to talk about why and how you should be a people centric leader.

Vanessa shares the story of her own career transformation and the profound impact that people-focused leadership has had on her growth. She unpacks what it means to be a people-centric leader, why this mindset is more essential than ever, and how you can begin to model this approach in your own leadership.

From shifting your style from telling to coaching, to showing up with authentic presence and using language that draws out the best in others, Vanessa offers both heartfelt insights and practical strategies. Her stories, examples, and actionable tools will inspire you to connect more deeply with your team, foster meaningful engagement, and drive results through human-centered leadership.

Show Notes

00:25 Show intro

00:59 Introducing Vanessa Bragg

01:14 Bart runs through Vanessa's background

01:55 Introducing people-centric leadership

02:36 How Vanessa started her career

03:58 Most rapid growth with that leader 

04:58 She wasn't a problem solver, she always asked me what I recommended 

05:45 How did that people-centricity shape your own philosophy?

06:39 She never was the answer person 

08:17 What are the challenges with people-centred approach

09:52 Even though I'm a coach I have my eye on strategy 

10:33 Top-down vs people-centric leadership differences

11:00 Leaders who are lower in self-awareness are harder to shift

12:45 How much does the org affect the culture?

13:04 It has to come from the top

13:36 Buy-in from execs freed up the other leaders

14:24 In all the orgs I worked in the CSuite makes a huge difference to culture 

15:27 How can leaders be present?

16:55 Connection before content

18:19 Use the language of leadership

21:06 Example of a leader who was using the wrong language

22:17 She wasn't an unkind person 

23:21 Raise that self-awareness 

23:39 Intent and impact

24:13 Being people-focused does not mean losing track of business goals

24:42 What does it mean to "Communicate like a Coach"?

30:09 Where can people find out more?

30:47 Outro

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart speaks with Denis Ricard, CEO of iA Financial Group, about what it takes to cultivate a strong, cohesive executive team. Denis shares insights from his remarkable career journey within iA, from his early roles to the C-suite, and the leadership lessons that shaped his approach to building high-performing senior teams.

He reflects on the guidance he offers to his senior leadership team, the importance of alignment at the executive level, and the culture he has intentionally fostered at iA. Through practical examples and candid reflection, Denis offers a clear perspective on the leadership principles that support long-term organizational success.

Whether you're a CEO, team lead, or aspiring leader, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways on team cohesion, leadership development, and organizational culture. A must-listen for anyone looking to elevate their leadership impact.

Show Notes:

00:13 Show intro

00:49 Introducing Denis

02:08 What do you look for in senior leaders?

02:35 Surround yourself with A+ players

03:24 Denis' career path

05:03 Key moment when he decided his big goal

05:24 What changed his goal?

06:16 Switch to marketing to learn the business better

06:37 The next move would be on purpose!

07:00 The CEO asked him, ever thought about taking my job?

07:48 When I became CEO, I was ready

08:38 Depth in executives

09:35 It's not about being an expert, but having a breadth of knowledge

10:15 Story about moving an exec out of their comfort zone

11:11 The best way to grow

12:19 We could leave people where they are. But it would not build capacity

13:40 Taught at Uni to become a better communicator

16:11 Simplifying the message

17:13 Figure out what you love and go for it

18:40 Essential leadership communication qualities

18:49 Let's make the problems visible

18:57 Energy into building trust

19:29 How do you build trust?

19:56 Recognize and thank an executive when they bring a problem

21:04 How to approach giving feedback

21:48 Example of feedback that he got

23:59 It's all about the greater good

25:34 If you work for the organization, you'll get noticed

26:08 An example of an executive hire that didn't fit the culture

28:12 Advice on cultivating a culture

28:54 Team building

29:48 Start with a group of like-minded people

31:03 How do you communicate principles to a large company

31:10 Be accessible

31:23 Virtual culture challenge

33:39 Leading by example

33:59 What's next for your team?

34:25 Foster a growth mindset

35:35 Thank yous

In this episode, Bart speaks with Karina Michel, an accomplished actor, director, and producer, about the powerful lessons leaders can learn from the creative world. Karina shares insights drawn from her experience across film and television, exploring what leadership can gain from the disciplines of acting, directing, and producing. She reveals surprising parallels between performance and leadership, showing how both require presence, authenticity, and vision.

From fully embodying a role as an actor, to building cohesive teams as a director, to managing complex projects as a producer, Karina draws on a wealth of experience and breaks down how creative approaches can make you a more effective and inspirational leader.

Connect with Karina:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinamichelofficial/#

IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm2405454/

Listen to her podcast Coffee with Karina on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5k60JMmYHpW6ri7QVPCPVI

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffee-with-karina/id1529519382

Show notes:

00:20 Show Intro

00:57 Introducing Karina

02:03 Karina's Background

03:10 What’s It Like Auditioning as an Actor?

06:45 What Is a Producer in Film?

07:57 What Is a Creative Producer?

09:12 Moving to Directing

11:51 What Can Leaders Learn from the Film Business?

12:38 Take Risks

13:20 Having Strength of Conviction

14:23 What Leaders Can Learn from Actors

14:37 Preparation

16:48 How Do You Prepare to Play “Me”?

17:07 Get Clear on Your Ideas and Direction

18:39 Empathy

20:28 Don’t Judge the Character—or Yourself

22:05 Lessons from Directing

22:35 Team Effort and Collaboration Matter

23:57 How to Handle Underperforming Team Members

26:50 What Can Leaders Learn from a Producer?

27:09 Have a Vision—and Follow Through

28:00 What Makes a Good Pitch?

30:23 Meet the Basic Standard of a Pitch

31:30 What Separates a Great Pitch?

31:46 The Team Is Key

34:04 Where to Find Karina

34:53 Wrap-Up

35:46 Thank Yous

36:12 Outro

In this episode, Bart speaks with Lara Hernendez, a THG consultant and NLP expert. They discuss what Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) is and why it matters, not just for leaders, but for anyone who wants to communicate with greater authenticity and impact.

Lara shares practical insights into the power of non-verbal communication, how emotions can unintentionally shape the signals we send to our audience, and why self-awareness is essential to communicate with intention and clarity. She explains how to become more conscious of your own energy and cues, how to recognize emotional triggers that can get in the way of inspiring others, and the tools you can use to elevate your impact every time you speak.

Throughout the conversation, Lara weaves in her own experiences, from a career in the hospitality industry to becoming an NLP practitioner and, ultimately, joining The Humphrey Group. Today, she helps clients become more authentic, compelling, and inspiring versions of themselves through the lens of leadership communication and behavioral insight.

Connect with Lara on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laraluminacoach/) or through her email [email protected]

And check out her blog to learn more about NLP: https://www.thehumphreygroup.com/blog/language-leadership-and-authenticity-a-neuro-linguistic-perspective

The Inspire Podcast was recently featured on Feedspot's Top Business Podcasts list (https://podcast.feedspot.com/business_podcasts/). A big thank you to our listeners for helping us grow this community of thoughtful, purpose-driven leaders.

00:21 Show introduction

00:59 Introducing Lara

01:38 What is NLP and why is it important for leaders?

03:55 Are we wired permanently from the age of 7?

05:36 Lara's story

06:05 The hotel industry

10:20 What questions should people ask to know themselves better?

10:30 What are your core values?

10:53 Know your triggers

11:58 Why do I have these triggers?

13:57 If I know my core values, I can see it in others

15:05 We can only inspire if we have a real connection with something

16:08 Connecting negative feelings to past experiences

17:35 Getting to the deeper things that cause fear

18:14 Next steps after doing the self-reflective work?

18:49 Writing down events and thoughts as they happen

19:15 Record yourself with video

21:06 Picking up on words that indicate negative self-talk

21:29 Example of a limiting belief

22:42 How to transform negative emotions?

23:14 Shift to "how does it feel"?

25:13 Acceptance

28:37 What is one thing people can do right now?

29:00 Be still and listen to your thoughts and feelings

30:01 Ask "What colour am I?"

31:38 Where can people go to find out more?

31:59 Thank yous

32:24 Show outro

In this episode, Bart is joined by Anne Maggisano, Vice President, Investment Counsellor at Burgundy Asset Management. Anne shares the story behind founding The Women of Burgundy—an initiative that has reached over 1,000 individuals and is dedicated to building a community that inspires women to make investing a priority and take a leadership role over their wealth.

She reflects on the early spark that inspired the initiative, how she garnered support within the firm, and the ways it has grown over more than a decade into the impactful community it is today. More than just an initiative, The Women of Burgundy also became the place where Anne found her own authentic voice as a leader. Throughout the conversation, she offers candid insights on her journey and how tapping into her values became the foundation of her leadership.

Anne’s journey is rich with lessons for anyone wanting to create meaningful, lasting impact: from navigating the inevitable ebs and flows of support, to staying personally energized, to evolving your work to meet people where they are. The Women of Burgundy is a true inspiration and so is Anne’s story.

Learn more about The Women of Burgundy here: https://www.burgundyasset.com/women/

And find Anne's Sharing Our Stories speech here: https://www.burgundyasset.com/views-insights/sharing-our-stories/

Show Notes:

00:58 Welcoming Anne

02:06 What is the Women of Burgundy?

02:41 Her personal experience that kicked it off

03:59 The investment business doesn't speak to women very well

04:36 The reason why women have been less involved, historically

05:06 Over time, women have built wealth 

05:55 Realization her women clients were not being as well served

06:14 When women lose their husband and have to take over wealth management

06:58 Story of her mother's experience

08:20 She brought this to Burgundy

08:34 What was the reaction like?

09:16 Wanted to ensure it was empowering and educational

09:49 Her manifesto that she pitched

11:21 Finding her own voice as a leader

11:47 It was hard!

12:40 It takes time for others to "get" what you're doing 

13:41 The story of the very first event

14:34 Changing women’s and men’s roles around wealth

14:54 Not data, but lots of anecdotal experience

15:40 The milestones of The Women of Burgundy

16:22 Moving online with COVID

17:08 Launching the magazine to widen outreach

17:41 The summit

18:46 CIBC report: women will control $4 trillion by 2028

21:15 Longer lives, but not health spans 

21:35 Families will have to care for the elderly

23:05 Talking about setbacks and challenges

23:21 When you're leading, take a long time

25:23 Leadership requires self-conviction

27:48 Advice for those starting a leadership journey

28:00 Make sure you're surrounded by supportive people

28:34 Having agency in your environment

29:58 The "How" evolves, but the "Why" stays consistent

31:07 You have to cultivate the support!

31:26 Examples of people coming around to support

34:07 The long game

34:33 The rocking chair test

35:57 Who do you want to be in that rocking chair?

37:01 Always stay true to your values

38:10 How to learn more about Anne & Burgundy

39:02 Last piece of advice

39:07 You're responsible for your own vision and future

40:05 Thank yous

In this episode, Bart welcomes two members of The Humphrey Group to talk about the rise of storytelling as a leadership imperative and why great stories exist inside you. 

Patricio opens the conversation by sharing why storytelling has become an increasingly critical skill for leaders in this day and age. A trend that the rise of AI has only accelerated. Athulya builds on this by explaining why storytelling has always been something that is more memorable and impactful than just sharing information and data. Together, they introduce the STORY framework, a new tool developed by THG at the heart of The Power of Stories program, and break down how both Star Wars and real-life business stories can follow the same powerful structure. They show how even those who feel like they don’t have stories can tap into meaningful experiences and turn them into powerful narratives.

 

Whether you're a seasoned executive or just starting your leadership journey, this episode will make you a more effective and confident storyteller no matter what role you hold or what industry you are in. 

Learn more about The Power of Stories program here: https://www.thehumphreygroup.com/storytelling-for-leaders

Show Notes

1:17 Welcoming guests to the show

3:10 When did you first realize how important storytelling was?

7:23 Why stories are powerful

7:27 Our brains are wired for stories 

7:42 The research behind it

8:47 Why is storytelling more relevant now than ever before

9:03 Social media has changed the way we connect

9:32 15% of social media posts — influenced by AI

10:07 When you tell a story, you connect

11:00 Building trust as a leader

11:21 Showing vulnerability

12:07 Stories stick

12:27 People remember stories, not data

15:16 A framework for building storytelling skills

15:45 A lot of stories SUCK!

16:38 S: Situation

16:58 T: Tension

17:21 O: Opportunity

18:07 R: Result

18:23 Y: Your Learning

18:43 Take a movie plot and break it down

21:37 Business story

22:06 The Steve Jobs story

25:19 An executive says, "I have no stories"

26:20 Is it appropriate to share stories?

27:39 Stories you probably shouldn't be telling

28:40 How to find your stories?

28:41 You don't have to have gone through James Bond scenarios to have good stories

31:07 The 'why' determines whether a story is useful or not

31:25 Tips for finding your own stories

32:32 The four plots that every leader needs

32:51 The hero's journey plot

32:59 Overcoming obstacles plot

33:08 Discovery plot

33:20 The rise and fall and rise again plot

34:09 Doesn't working at your stories kill the authenticity?

34:31 Making sure you're present in the moment

34:48 Do you practice stories? 

39:45 How telling a personal story created connection 

41:36 Thank yous

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart welcomes Peter Zukow, Managing Partner at IQ Partners, a leading search firm, for a conversation on the evolving world of talent management.

Peter unpacks why talent management has changed in recent decades, driven by trends like remote work, the great resignation and now AI. He emphasizes that while talent management has always been important, it’s now increasingly imperative for leaders themselves.

From recruiting top talent to nurturing future leaders, advancing team members, and building your leadership brand inside and out, Peter outlines why leaders must play an active, hands-on role. He also offers valuable advice for aspiring leaders on how to take charge of their own development in a world where individuals are increasingly expected to drive their own growth

Whether you're leading a team or aspiring to step into leadership, Peter’s insights offer a compelling case for why talent management is no longer an option but a requirement.

Visit https://www.iqpartners.com/ to learn more!

Show notes:

00:36 Show intro

01:07 Introducing Peter

02:22 What do leaders need to know about managing talent?

02:27 The fundamentals haven't changed

02:34 A more complex environment than ever before

03:19 What are the fundamentals of talent?

03:28 The needs of the teams

03:37 Stakeholders

04:04 How Peter got here in his career

05:05 Recruitment is not usually a career of choice

05:54 What is the search business - in a nutshell?

06:33 Benefits of hiring a search firm over posting a job on LinkedIn

07:07 Targeting the passive job seeker

07:55 Trend in building "Talent Practices"

09:48 What is talent management and the role of leaders in this

10:24 Building and maintaining great culture

10:39 You can't just rely on others to build talent

11:10 Engaging with top leaders in an org is key

11:51 CEO willing to have coffee chats with candidates

12:58 The need to coach and develop talent inside the company as well

16:21 Being transparent about the opportunities in the organization

17:52 The 3 things people can do to bring a talent mindset into their work

18:04 Communication is critical

18:53 Investing the time in it

19:21 Both internal and external efforts on your brand as a leader

20:28 How to prioritize their investment in members of their team

21:12 Leaders at different parts of the org could be key!

22:02 Many ways a leader can communicate—pick your strongest

22:32 How can leaders work externally to attract talent

23:00 Being intentional and consistent with your actions

24:10 Succession Planning: how to approach it

24:18 Succession planning has changed significantly

24:49 As organizations have evolved the jumps from level to level are huge

25:26 The gray tsunami crisis

25:55 Younger generations may have different ideas about "career"

26:27 Take a hard look at team and identify the gaps

27:10 Who's in the marketplace that I might want to bring on?

28:13 Advice for aspiring leaders?

28:29 Be proactive about your own career!

29:20 Tell stakeholders your aspirations!

30:53 Volunteering for cross-functional projects

31:59 If you can't get that internally, you can get involved in the community

34:00 Tech and info has levelled the playing field

34:51 Always and ever and not good places to stand

35:46 Final piece of advice — quickest way to start

35:56 Just start having the conversations

36:23 Thank yous

36:39 Show outro

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart sits down with Alex Draper, founder and CEO of DX Learning, to tackle a critical issue in the workplace: toxic leadership. Alex starts with a simple truth—bad leadership is toxic and has negative impacts. So why does it persist when no one sets out to be a bad leader?

Alex explains that most toxic leadership isn’t intentional—it’s unintentional, and it stems from a lack of self-awareness and training. He discusses how leaders need to provide Clarity, Autonomy, Relationships, and Equity (his CARE model) and shares how to begin fostering CARE-driven leadership through data gathering, practical steps, and clear ways to measure progress.

Alex’s insights are essential at a time when employees are demanding more from their leaders—and when the opportunity exists to lead in a way that truly inspires. If you're a leader looking to create a healthier workplace culture and drive better results, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Alex at https://www.dx-learning.com/ and https://alex-draper.com

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-draper/

Show notes:

1:00 Introducing Alex Draper

1:32 What does DX Learning do?

1:56 Purpose is to wipe out toxicity in the workplace

2:55 How to get leaders to behave in positive ways

4:05 How to go into a company knowing that your specialty is toxic workplaces

4:21 Some people are truly toxic and try to cause stress

5:00 There are narcissists out there

6:00 There's no flawless team or human

6:19 Toxicity exists in every team

7:32 What are the signs of a toxic leader or culture

8:23 Levels of silence indicate a problem

8:56 Ideas and challenging the status quo - is that happening?

9:36 Lagging indicators: retention issues

10:39 What is a typical engagement like?

10:56 Engineering mindset - data!

11:59 What data should we gather?

12:28 70% of variance in employee engagement is down to the managers

12:41 If the team has an issue, it's more than likely the leadership does

12:51 Bottom up approach is not the right approach!

13:15 How to gather the data?

13:28 4 dimensions of high performing leadership/teams

14:54 How "Equity" fits in

16:48 Cognitive dissonance - gaps

17:07 Bart asks for an example of a gap dissonance between leaders and employees

19:21 Advice on collecting "listening data"

21:02 How can leaders provide more clarity?

21:49 Example of a leader working on clarity

24:18 The projection bias

24:48 Heuristics - brain shortcuts -cause issues

25:44 Example of 'autonomy' problem

26:01 Psychological safety = Autonomy

31:46 The "Equity" piece

33:05 Equity is the lagging indicator

33:34 How do you measure equity?

33:43 Fairness orientation

34:23 Equity is the output of the three controllables

34:53 Re-measure!

35:07 What should the measurement frequency be?

35:31 90 days for teams

36:32 Teams are always adapting

37:19 Change is the one consistent

38:22 How do you feel about the state of leadership in 2025 and onwards?

39:56 AI and how it will fit in the mix — emotional intelligence as the distinguishing factor

40:21 Where can people go to find out more?

40:48 Thank Yous

41:35 Show outro

To kick off season 7 of The Inspire Podcast, Bart speaks with Dr Robin Hills, a renowned business psychologist and the director of Ei4Change, an internationally acclaimed, award-winning company that has empowered over 500,000 people across 200+ countries through its expertise in emotional intelligence for change.

 

Robin shares why in this age of automation and disruptions, EQ is the uniquely human skill that sets us apart and is a source of great strength. Robin talks about what EQ actually is, why it's tied to the successful practice of leadership, and outlines several ways you can build your EQ. A practical conversation that will both energize you and empower you to be a more emotionally self-aware and intentional leader. 

 

Visit ei4change.com/ to learn more!

 

Show Notes

00:16 Show Intro

00:52 Introducing Robin Hills

01:38 How Robin got into EI training

01:52 What is emotional intelligence?

03:23 How he works with people on EI

03:56 500,000 people have taken his online training course

04:43 EI underpins everything we do

05:27 Bart asks for an example of how EI competency works

05:54 Just forget about EI! 

06:38 Help leaders understand what emotional triggers they are vulnerable to 

07:33 Bart talks about stock price trigger

08:27 Coaching around "What could you do, or have done better?"

08:53 It's not the physiological response, but the behavior that is the problem 

09:43 What can a leader do to improve the emotional climate?

11:10 Bart asks about the rise of AI and its impact

12:42 Example of a radiologist using AI

14:57 A robot can never be a leader

16:34 Empathy is a key part of emotional intelligence

17:20 Leaders – ability to be entrepreneurial and innovative

19:06 Spiritual intelligence

20:09 How does spirituality fit into leadership?

22:23 Putting things into larger context and perspective

25:27 Using behavioral psychological assessment tools

26:16 I'm not interested in your failings! 

26:53 Asking friends and family: "What is it about me that you like and respect?"

29:38 Learn your emotional triggers!

32:44 Give yourself permission to be angry, or fearful

33:43 Should we "keep our emotions out of the workplace?"

34:20 Aristotle's quote about anger

34:53 I don't use "positive" and "negative" for emotions

35:29 Emotional intelligence is INCREDIBLY hard!

36:05 Building your storybank

38:10 We've been trained not to brag

39:24 Bart summarizes key points

40:08 Final piece of advice: Just BE

40:19 Just be you 

40:55 How to find out more – and get resources

41:46 Thank yous

42:03 Outro