It's Episode 121 and Tracy and Elisabeth sit down with emergency physician–turned–start-up-founder Greg Jacobson and Lean author, podcaster, and KaiNexus Senior Advisor Mark Graban, to unpack whether software can actually strengthen a culture of continuous improvement—or merely reveal the one you already have.

The KaiNexus journey started in healthcare but has grown to embrace its cross-industry impact by drawing on habit-loop science and the power of the nudge. As you might suspect, humans are at the center. This made for a fascinating "Hot-App Interview".

Last up—inspired by the idea of getting assistance when we need it—our Q&A segment addresses the question: "What really gets in the way of asking for help?"

And, in case you’re watching the video, you’ll notice Elisabeth has been reduced to a voice during the interview. That's because she was in the middle of the historic Cape Cod Blizzard of '26. The 2.5 feet of snow and 70 mph winds make this the blizzard edition!

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Today’s highlight is Tracy and Elisabeth's interview with Tony Dottino—author, consultant, and one of the rare people who was actually in the room when modern quality thinking was taking shape. Tony worked alongside legends like W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Philip Crosby, helped shape what became the Malcolm Baldrige Award, and influenced early Six Sigma thinking—and he’s still at it. We’ll discuss what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what’s got him on television now!

For Hot Apps, we’ll explore a mind-mapping tool that helps teams see problems in new ways. And for Q&A, we’ll unpack a deceptively simple question: What is a “shield,” and how can it help change agents actually change things?

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It’s a brand new year and Tracy & Elisabeth's highlight is their conversation with Bernadette Hill and Priya Venkatesan from UC Davis—two leaders who’ve helped shape a culture of improvement using approaches that may surprise you. Their work reminds us that progress isn’t always driven by new tools or frameworks, but by how people show up for one another.

And instead of the cafe's usual Book Buzz, Hot App, or Q&A, Tracy and Elisabeth are closing out the year with something different—a moment of reflection. After all, reflection is the step we’re most tempted to skip—and the one that gives us the biggest chance to learn.

Time to get down to business!

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Today's highlight is Tracy & Elisabeth's interview with Melisa Buie, co-author of the just-published Faceplant. We get the skinny on how someone with a PhD in Plasma Physics got drawn into the emotional landscape of failure, and all the great things that came out of it. For Book Buzz we’ll do a nosedive into Faceplant—hmm, might need to rethink that phrasing—but Tracy & Elisabeth give a more behind-the-scenes take on Melisa’s new book. And then for Q&A, we asked, What’s the latest example of process improvement in the wild? What have we seen?

Every problem solver faceplants eventually—it’s what you do next that counts. And regardless of next steps—be sure to include coffee.

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Today’s highlight is Tracy and Elisabeth's interview with Kristle Bulleman, Process Manager for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She lets us in on what it takes to make the impossible happen — like granting a wish to meet a mermaid (and honestly, who wouldn’t sign up for that?).

For Hot Apps, Tracy brings firsthand experience on how to zhuzh up an event — especially when you want to add a little fanfare to picking winners.

And for Q&A, we tackle a classic leadership challenge: how do you reward improvement teams in ways that truly motivate? What works — and what falls flat?

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It's October at the Cafe, and Elisabeth and Tracy got to sit down with Meg Bowles—co-author of the New York Times bestseller How to Tell a Story—to explore why stories power so much of our work and lives. In Book Buzz, they spill what got underlined and dog-eared (stakes, structure, callbacks, and more) in today's book. And for Q&A, they tackle the evergreen trap: jumping to solutions before we’ve even named the problem.

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It's episode 115 and the highlight is our interview with Michael Bremer—the author who turned the humble Gemba Walk into an art form (and picked up a Shingo Award along the way). For our Book Buzz, we crack open Michael Bungay Stanier’s The Coaching Habit—because it’s always the right time to celebrate saying less and asking more. And in our Q&A, we dig into the potholes people stumble into when conducting Process Walks—aka Gemba Walks.

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On today’s episode, Tracy & Elisabeth sit down with UK author and empathy firestarter Shola Kaye to unpack, among other things, something called “Empathy Hijacking”—yes, it’s a thing, and yes, it’s probably happened to you. For Book Buzz, we crack open Miracle Mornings and snoop through Tracy’s daily habits—was she ever a night owl? Then for Q&A, we go head-to-head on how we each structure our personal growth (and whether structure is even the right word). 

Curious? Good. Let’s get into it!" 

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In today’s episode, Tracy & Elisabeth sit down with process improvement pro Michelle Formanczyk to talk about her exciting new role for this year’s Michigan Lean Conference—and why you won’t want to miss it.

In our Hot Apps segment, we test drive Scribe, an app that magically turns your clicks into slick, step-by-step guides.

And for Q&A, we ask: Is AI a continuous improvement hero—or just another shiny tool in the toolbox?

Lean, learning, and a little splash of sass—let’s dive in!

Scribe

Is AI a continuous improvement hero—or just another shiny tool in the toolbox?

Michelle Formanczyk

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Today’s spotlight shines on none other than Gwendolyn Galsworth—author, trailblazer, and the reigning doyenne of the visual workplace. In our feature interview, Gwendolyn shares powerful insights into how visual thinking transforms not just operations, but entire cultures. Get ready for sharp wisdom, strong convictions, and a dash of storytelling flair.

Spoiler alert: A lot.

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