The Person behind the Position

What happens when the business you're building becomes the measure of who you are?For Steve Barton, growing a business from $200,000 to $2 million wasn't simply a professional achievement. It raises a deeper question about the relationship between success, ambition, and personal identity.In this episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael Chism sits down with Steve Barton to explore what happens to the person while the business is growing. They examine the expectations that come with success and the challenge of recognizing who we are beyond what we've accomplished.Because building something successful and building a life that reflects who you are aren't necessarily the same thing.Here's a question worth considering: If everything you've worked to build disappeared tomorrow, would you still know who you are?The Person Behind the Position — Because behind every title is a person.

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

What happens when you’ve built a successful life but realize you’re not satisfied with the life you’re living?In this episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael Chism sits down with Ted Kopecko, an architect, entrepreneur, businessman, real estate investor, and author of Finding Joy.Ted shares the personal experiences that forced him to reconsider what success meant—including watching his father suffer a massive stroke just two years into retirement and recognizing that, despite building a very different career, he might be heading down a similar path.The conversation explores success, satisfaction, family, purpose, giving, and the difference between staying busy building a life and actually living one that feels like your own.And when the accomplishments, businesses, titles, and even the book are stripped away, Michael asks the question at the heart of every episode:Who are you behind the position?

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

What happens when nobody needs you anymore?For years, Michael Chism was needed. As a pastor, HR leader, professor, and professional, there was always somewhere to be, someone calling, something to solve, or someone depending on him.Then the calls stopped. The calendar cleared. The responsibilities disappeared.And for perhaps the first time, it was just Michael.In this solo episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael reflects on what he discovered when the positions that once required so much of him were no longer there—and the realization that changed the way he began looking at himself:If they don’t need me, I need me.But accepting that truth raised another question: What do I need me to do?This is an honest reflection on identity, self-worth, showing up for yourself, and learning to believe that who you are remains even when the positions change.Because before anyone else needs you, you need you.Who are you behind the position?

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

The Three Things Everyone Needs What do decades of climbing mountains, building a business, developing teams, and taking risks teach you about what really matters? In this episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael Chism sits down with David Lengyel, whose journey has taken him from studying plant physiology and soils chemistry to mountaineering, adventure travel, and eventually pioneering work in team building. But this conversation isn't simply about David's career. David reflects on the shy, introverted young man he once was, how taking risks helped him develop confidence, why failure is necessary for growth, and how his understanding of success has changed over the years. And when asked what might never appear on his résumé, David shares a simple belief developed through a lifetime of experience: Everybody needs three things: something to work on, something to believe in, and something to look forward to. It's a conversation about growth, relationships, letting go, and discovering what remains when the accomplishments and positions are no longer the most important part of the story. Because behind the mountaineer, entrepreneur, coach, and businessman is something much simpler: a father, a person still growing, and a man preparing to pass what he's built to the next generation. Who are you behind the position?

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

What happens when getting the position means feeling like you have to hide part of who you are? In this episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael Chism sits down with Julie Gartell for a candid conversation about career, motherhood, expectations, and the pressure to prove yourself at work. Julie shares the experience of starting a new position while raising infant twins—and being advised not to tell her employer that she needed to leave at 5:00. What followed was more than a conversation about work schedules. It raised a deeper question about how much of ourselves we believe we're allowed to bring into the workplace. Together, Michael and Julie explore the pressure to perform, the need to prove our commitment, and what can happen when our professional identity seems to conflict with the other parts of who we are. Because sometimes the person behind the position isn't trying to escape the position. They're trying to figure out how much of themselves they're allowed to bring into it. Who are you behind the position? You can tind Julie at www.careerprepsolutions.com and @careerprepsolutions (tiktok and Instagram). You'll be glad you did!

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

Three simple words—“I don’t know”—can carry more weight than we realize. In this episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael Chism reflects on his own complicated relationship with admitting when he didn’t know something. Sometimes those words brought help. Other times they brought criticism, embarrassment, fear, or the feeling that he simply didn’t measure up. But what happens when not knowing stops being about the answer—and starts affecting how you see yourself? Michael explores the pressure to have answers when people depend on you, the freedom of admitting what you don’t know, and learning to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Because the position may come with expectations, but the person behind it is still human. Who are you behind the position?

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

Every position leaves us with something.In this episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael reflects on the skills, successes, failures, habits, and lessons we carry from one experience into the next. Years of experience can teach us a lot—but they don't mean we're finished growing.What have your experiences taught you, what are you still carrying, and what might you need to leave behind?We don’t walk away empty.Who are you behind the position?

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

What happens when what you do becomes who you believe you are?In this episode of The Person Behind the Position, we explore how our jobs, titles, and responsibilities can become connected to our identity—and what happens when those positions change or disappear.The position may change, but the person remains.Who are you behind the position?

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?

We often introduce ourselves by what we do—pastor, professor, HR director, teacher, executive, line worker. But a position can tell you what someone does without telling you who they are. In the first episode of The Person Behind the Position, Michael Chism asks what happens when organizations invest heavily in policies, procedures, systems, performance, and growth—but overlook the development of the people expected to make it all work. What do we miss when we only see someone's position? Are we giving people what they need to succeed, or are we putting them in positions and expecting them to simply figure it out? A position can give you responsibility, authority, opportunity, and visibility. But the position doesn't make you. So, if your position disappeared tomorrow... Who are you behind the position?

We often know people by what they do, but there's always more to the person than the title they carry. The Person Behind the Position explores the stories, experiences, struggles, growth, and humanity that exist beyond the job description. Hosted by Michael Chism. Follow the podcast and join the conversation as we discover the people behind the titles, roles, and responsibilities we encounter every day. Who are you behind the position?