The LeaderShifter Show

Join us on today’s episode for a fun conversation with Blima Ehrentreu, Founder and CEO of Brooklyn-based design company The Designers Group. They deliver cutting-edge interior design, specializing in high-end residential and commercial spaces, including healthcare, senior living, hospitality, retail, and schools. 

Blima shares descriptions of some of the innovative projects the company has worked on and how it has enhanced the customer and employee experience + the bottom line of her clients. Learn how they engage all five senses in their designs, impacting not only the physical space, but also the mental and emotional wellness of those who experience it. Inc. Magazine ranked The Designers Group #15 among the top fastest-growing private companies in the New York Metro Area in 2021, and Blima has also been the recipient of plentiful awards.

In addition, we touched on my favorite topic of workplace culture, with a key element of The Designers Group culture being dedicated to philanthropy. Among the charitable initiatives they have launched include TDG Furniture Exchange which matches furniture donors with recipients in need, TDG Gives Back for pro bono design work, and TDG Insider for prospective designers. Their actions match the words in a big way, a hallmark of great leadership. Visit their website to learn more about these initiatives or how to engage TDG in a project.

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Cecilia Dahl is the OG remote work expert; she has been conducting business virtually for 30 years, so she is not a pandemic also-ran. Her consulting business is Key 360, and she is a valued resource to clients with her unique “Productivity Anywhere” leadership mindset. In today’s episode, Cecilia shares some really differentiated tips, not the common sense ones that everyone talks about. For example:

Cecelia is also a serial entrepreneur who has started several companies, along the way raising 3 rounds of VC capital, obtaining 3 patents, and growing one biz to over $100mm before a profitable exit. And there’s more…She’s the co-author of Unlocking The Secrets of Remote Leadership and is one of 30 female leaders featured in The Great LeadHERship Awakening. Cecelia recently launched a YouTube channel called “Dear Cecilia,” an obvious nod to Dear Abby, but instead of dispensing life advice, she addresses questions about leading remotely. If you have a question you want to pose to Cecelia to be featured on the show, contact her via her website.

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Join me today if you want the key to the entrepreneurship kingdom! I’m speaking with a colleague and good friend, Rod Dauphin, who is the Education Services Director for the esteemed Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (GS10kSB) philanthropic grant program at LaGuardia Community College in NYC. A requirement of the program is to complete a rigorous training program. I happen to be an adjunct facilitator, teaching the Leadership and People/Culture modules, so I’m a bit biased about this program and Rod :). So far, GS10kSB has served over 13,000 businesses with no end in sight. In his 12 year tenure serving the program’s NYC-metro region, Rod and his team have advised over 1,300 businesses.

Having started six of his own companies beginning at age 22, Rod has immersed himself in entrepreneurship, small business, and community his entire career. Some of the wisdom he shares includes:

Rod is also a budding author and podcast host. Stay tuned for his upcoming book due out in July 2024, The Sports in Business, in which he applies relatable sports analogies to operating a thriving business. Along with two friends, he is soon launching the Black Dad Unfiltered podcast to promote understanding, healing, and changing the narrative around black men both at home and at work. What an important and timely initiative!

If you or someone you know may be interested in the GS10kSB program, please apply!

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Carolyn Swora is a self-professed “recovering over-worker and people pleaser.” I’m sure that sounds familiar! On today’s episode, learn how she not only overcame those burdens but also blossomed into a “Human Spirit Ignitor” with a passion for developing trauma-informed leaders. First, Carolyn helps us define trauma: it’s not just something extreme; it’s any emotional wound or distressing event that you’re not able to cope with easily. In other words, trauma is relative and not to be minimized or compared.

Leaders, listen up! The CDC recently quantified that the lifetime cost of toxic stress, adversity, and trauma is over $120 billion. So, it literally costs your company money if you and your leaders don’t get smarter and more intentional about this topic. In other words, LEADERS ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO DO THIS WORK, so be informed about how to engage with people who have experienced trauma. Ok, then how do I become a trauma-informed leader?? Carolyn offers many tips, including:

Carolyn is a certified Dare to Lead facilitator of Brene Brown’s famous work on vulnerability. She’s also the host of Podcast: Evolve: A new era of leadership and author of two books, Evolve: The Path to Trauma-Informed Leadership and Rules of Engagement: Building a Workplace Culture to Thrive in an Uncertain World.

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It was a real treat to have Luke Iorio on the show to discuss an important topic we’ve never specifically covered before: Masculine Vulnerability. He is the former President and CEO of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), one of the most renowned coaching certification programs in the world. WAIT, LADIES – this episode is for you too because you all have men in your life to support!

Vulnerability flies in the face of how most men were socialized for millennia – to be tough and push down emotions, essentially a world that “trains warriors.” When working with clients to become more self-aware about their own personal and societal conditioning, Luke taps into the commonly held value of freedom. He points out that past conditioning is actually a prison that keeps them trapped and not free at all. Vulnerability is one of the highest forms of strength and fosters empowered decision-making. Some tangible suggestions he offers include:

Luke also hosts an inspiring podcast, On This Walk, on which he vulnerably (of course!) shares some of his own life’s journey. The show is described as follows: “We’ll walk together and explore mostly from the personal journey perspective—wrestling with meaning, tiptoeing to find balance, grieving and releasing our way into acceptance and forgiveness, stumbling back into joy, and rediscovering that peace has always been at the center of what we’ve needed and wanted.” Doesn’t that sound yummy??!!

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As many of you know, psychological safety is a topic I constantly pound the table on. Join us to learn practical implementation tips from experts Minette Norman and Karolin Helbig. In their new book, The Psychological Safety Playbook: Lead More Powerfully by Being More Human, the duo became the first authors to provide actionable skills with real-life examples for implementing psychological safety in the workplace. Their work builds on that of renowned Harvard researcher, Amy Edmondson, who coined the term. The book is short – written for busy leaders – and provides 25 proven strategies to help leaders increase psychological safety on their teams by being human. Karolin has a PhD in human genetics and is a former McKinsey consultant. Minette has several decades of experiences leading global teams in the software industry and most recently served as Vice President of Engineering at Autodesk.

They generously share the five major “plays” and offer an immediately actionable tip for each one:

Tune in for this and more! And navigate to the free resources on their website, including a snapshot of all 25 plays. They don’t have to be done in any particular order. Start with one small action and observe as the magic happens!

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Today, I had a beyond FUN chat with Dr. Joey Faucette, an executive coach, author, podcaster, and architect of the Work Positive Framework. Dr. Joey bets that you have a “Kevin” at work. His name may be different, but all companies have one (likely more!). It’s all about him. Every. Single. Day. Kevin is negative only cares about what furthers his career; makes him look good to his boss. He yells when asked a question and blames others when deadlines are missed. His scientific species name is “suckus negativeous.” No N95 mask can prevent this pandemic of toxic bosses and coworkers! If this resonates, tune in to learn about the 5 key characteristics of a Work Positive Dream Team: Perceive, Conceive, Believe, Achieve, and Receive. We also discuss strategies to attract top talent that helps sustain a healthy culture and how to cope with negative people without becoming one yourself. Related to the latter, he shares the “Dr. Joey 2-step” with an analogy everyone will get – the toilet. Step 1: Grab the handle – ask yourself what you can learn from this person and how they might be a mirror to your own behavior. Step 2: Flush – flush away the inner critics that get more vocal when a ‘Kevin’ tries to knock you down. (I told you he is fun!).

Dr. Joey is also the author of best-selling book Work Positive in a Negative World: Redefine Your Reality and Achieve Your Business Dreams, host of the Work Positive Podcast, and genius behind The Work Positive Coaching Program. Folks, this episode is a good time, so please listen or watch now!

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As early as his 20s, Dr. Eric Holsapple had all the outward trappings of success: a high-paying job, nice car, and other costly material items. Yet he wasn’t happy. Can you relate to this? If so, tune in for a special sneak peek inside Eric’s book, Profit with Presence: The Twelve Pillars of Mindful Leadership, due to be released on March 7, 2023. Don’t assume he is all woo; Eric has been a successful real estate professional for 40 years and lectured in real estate at Colorado State University for 20 years. He shares with me his unique first-hand experience on how merging business and mindfulness is a proven catalyst for changing lives and improving business outcomes.

Among the interesting topics we covered were how to start slowly with a meditation practice, why it’s important to be happy now because the “goal post” for societal definitions of happiness will always keep moving, and how to align new commitments with supporting habits. We also discussed Eric’s Mindful Leadership Program, a 9-month journey designed to teach heart-centered business professionals, entrepreneurs, and CEOs how to use mindfulness tools to support and guide their vision to reach new heights.

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I had such a blast on today’s episode speaking with the three badass (pun intended!) cofounders of #femtech startup, Panic Panties. Alex Bernstein, Maria Marino, and Katherine Anne Coury, who went to Syracuse University together, hatched the idea over dinner one night in NYC. Panic Panties is doing for underwear what L’eggs did for pantyhose…making high quality options available ubiquitously on-the-go. Panties are already available at CIBO in airports, urbanoutfitters.com, and through delivery service, GoPuff, with more locations coming soon. Their products are individually packed panties that can be bought on the run or have as a staple in your handbag or office desk for when you’re in a … well, panic. You know, like when you unexpectedly get your period or want a fresh pair after 12+ hours in the office. Or when you leak a bit thanks to a big hardy laugh or cough (If you know, you know…). These ladies have bootstrapped their way to success so far, even though the pandemic hit just as they were launching. Learn about their recent Kickstarter campaign to fund the launch of a “brand-spanking” new product line in a big national drug store chain. We also discussed their corporate values (it wouldn’t be a LeaderShifter Show without it!), which are exemplary and truly define the brand and their journey:

Follow @panic.panties on IG and #panicpanties on TikTok or place an order on their website. You can also catch Alex, Maria, and Katherine Anne on The View on March 6th, 2023. @theviewabc

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“If you want to know your values, show me your calendar, your pocketbook, and who you hire and fire,” dares Dr. Brad Harris,“ Professor of Management and HR at HEC Paris and Co-Founder of People Leader Accelerator. Join us as Dr. Brad shares powerful lessons that will push leaders to understand the hidden tensions that stifle growth. He counsels on how to transform the empty words of most organizations’ values into ones that are truly representative. First, identify what makes you different and reflect those in your values. Then recognize what behaviors are part of honoring those values. Some examples he’s helped clients craft include

Another highlight was our discussion of how to nail down tangible ROI on leadership development efforts. Dr. Brad has also co-authored two books, 3D Team Leadership: A New Approach for Complex Teams and Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organizations.

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