The Two Piers Podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Dr. Ron Martin for a conversation about decision-making under pressure.

Dr. Martin brings perspective from a career spanning surgery, healthcare leadership, medical education, and military service as a retired U.S. Army colonel and senior combat surgeon. Together, he and Erica explore what makes for a good decision when information is incomplete, time is limited, and the consequences matter.

The conversation covers preparation, hindsight, feedback loops, decision rights, succession, judgment, and the role of experience in separating signal from noise.

In This Episode

Erica and Dr. Martin discuss:

• What actually makes a decision “good”
• The difference between a poor decision and a poor outcome
• How hindsight can distort decision reviews
• Why preparation matters before the pressure arrives
• When more information is useful, and when it only adds noise
• The role of after-action reviews and feedback loops
• Why leaders need people who are willing to challenge them
• Separating criticism of a decision from criticism of the person
• Decision rights, ownership, and organizational clarity
• When to follow the checklist and when experience needs to take over
• Building decision-makers rather than copies of yourself
• Why expertise depends on deliberate practice, reflection, and feedback

Key Takeaway

Better decision-making is not about eliminating uncertainty.

It is about understanding the problem, knowing what information matters, recognizing your own limitations, and making the best call available with the resources and time you have.

One of Dr. Martin’s most useful distinctions: more information is only valuable if it changes the options available to you.

About Dr. Ron Martin

Dr. Ron Martin is a professor emeritus of surgery, former associate dean of a medical school, former chief physician executive of two large healthcare clinic systems, and a retired U.S. Army colonel and senior combat surgeon. His career has included clinical surgery, military medicine, healthcare leadership, education, and organizational decision-making.

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast
• Follow and stream the podcast: https://twopiers.buzzsprout.com/649285/follow

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Alisa Tijerina for a conversation about high-stakes leadership, crisis response, operational discipline, psychological safety, and what leaders in any industry can learn from high-hazard environments.

Alisa is a seasoned VP-level leader with more than 20 years of experience in the upstream energy industry, spanning offshore and onshore operations across domestic and international assets. She is also a longtime friend of Erica’s and the first-ever guest on the Two Piers Podcast.

Together, Erica and Alisa explore the difference between steady-state high-stakes operations and acute crisis response, why good operations are often “boring,” how leaders can stay calm under pressure, and what it takes to build teams that speak up, prepare well, and make better decisions when the stakes are high.

In This Episode

Erica and Alisa discuss:

• What makes an environment “high-stakes”
• The difference between day-to-day high-hazard operations and crisis response
• Why crisis can create clarity, cohesion, and shared purpose
• Why strong operations should often look boring
• The role of psychological safety in safety-critical environments
• How operational discipline, procedures, and routines support performance
• Leading as an Offshore Installation Manager, or OIM
• How leadership style shifts between crisis response and daily operations
• Why calm communication matters during emergencies
• The usefulness of “low and slow” communication under pressure
• What leaders in other industries can learn from offshore operations
• Decision rights, RACI/RAPID charts, and reducing cognitive load
• The transition from offshore leadership to office-based leadership
• Direct communication, office politics, and stakeholder influence
• Women Offshore and the challenges of adapting communication across environments

Key Takeaway

High-stakes leadership is not only about how leaders respond in a crisis. It is also about the systems, habits, communication patterns, and trust that make strong performance possible before anything goes wrong.

In high-accountability environments, leaders need to prepare teams before the moment of pressure, clarify decision rights, build psychological safety, and know when to shift between directive and collaborative leadership.

About Alisa Tijerina

Alisa Tijerina is a seasoned VP-level leader with more than 20 years of experience in the upstream energy industry, spanning offshore and onshore operations across domestic and international assets. Her experience includes high-stakes operational leadership, including serving as an Offshore Installation Manager, or OIM, where she was accountable for people, safety, and emergency response on an offshore platform.

Resources Mentioned

• It’s Your Ship by Michael Abrashoff
• Turn the Ship Around! by David Marquet
• Women Offshore Conference

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast
• Stream the podcast from your favorite platform and follow the show: https://twopiers.buzzsprout.com/649285/follow

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Megan Bingman for a conversation about personal and professional pivots, identity, purpose, and being guided by your “why” through seasons of change.

Megan has worn many hats across her career, including physical therapist, myofascial release practitioner, women’s health therapist, yoga teacher, author, professor of practice at Penn State, and currently closer and marketer for Real Estate Closing Services.

Together, Erica and Megan explore what it means to move through change without losing the deeper thread of who you are. Megan shares how her own through line has stayed consistent across roles: helping people feel supported, valued, and connected to their own worth.

In This Episode

Erica and Megan discuss:

• Navigating career and identity shifts
• Rebranding yourself after a major professional pivot
• How COVID prompted Megan to prioritize her health and make a change
• Finding purpose across different roles and industries
• The difference between external titles and internally rooted identity
• Megan’s experience writing Angel in the Marble
• People-pleasing, boundaries, fear, love, and authenticity
• Why “risk-free” choices are rarely risk-free
• How noticing what lights you up can help clarify your why

Content Note

This episode includes brief references to chronic illness, foster care loss, infertility, sexual assault, and trauma-informed care.

Key Takeaway

A career pivot does not have to mean abandoning who you are. Sometimes it reveals the deeper thread that has been there all along.

For Megan, that thread is helping people feel loved, supported, and aware of their own worth. For listeners navigating change, her advice is to pay attention to the moments that light you up. Those sparks may be pointing toward something more durable than any single job title.

About Megan Bingman

Megan Bingman has worn many hats across her career, including physical therapist, women’s health therapist, yoga teacher, author, professor of practice at Penn State, and closer and marketer for Real Estate Closing Services. Across her work, Megan continues to center helping people feel supported, valued, and connected to their own worth.

Connect with Megan

• Connect with Megan on LinkedIn
• View Megan’s author profile on Amazon

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts
• Stream the podcast from your favorite platform and follow the show

Episode Summary

In this solo 100th episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo reflects on where the podcast began, how it has evolved, and why it still matters.

Rather than offering a highlight reel, Erica looks back at the relationships, experiments, risks, pivots, and questions that helped shape both the podcast and Two Piers Consulting. The episode also arrives during Two Piers’ 10th year, making it a natural moment to reflect on what it means to build work that is meaningful, adaptable, and sustainable over time.

Erica shares the origin story of the podcast, including early encouragement from Ally Tenorio of Women Offshore and recording support from Jesse of El Don Tamales. She also reflects on launching the podcast in February 2020, the shift that happened during the early days of COVID, and the decision later that year to leave corporate life and run Two Piers full time.

The episode also explores the personal side of building a business around the way your brain and energy actually work, including reflections on ADHD, sensory needs, chronic stress, meaningful work, and the difference between sticking with something and letting it evolve.

In This Episode

Erica reflects on:

• The origins of the Two Piers Podcast
• Reaching 100 episodes and 10 years of Two Piers
• What early podcasting taught her about voice, editing, and experimentation
• The relationships that helped the podcast get started
• How 2020 changed the direction of both the podcast and the business
• Leaving corporate life and moving to Maine
• Building work around ADHD, energy, sensory needs, and sustainability
• Why coaching became more central to Two Piers over time
• The difference between persistence and sunk cost
• Why staying curious matters more than keeping things in their original form
• What might come next for the podcast and Two Piers

Content Note

This episode includes personal reflections on depression, ADHD, and not expecting to live a long life earlier in Erica’s life. Please take care of yourself while listening.

Key Takeaway

After 100 episodes and 10 years of Two Piers, the work continues to evolve.

For Erica, persistence has not meant doing the same thing in the same way forever. It has meant staying engaged with the questions, paying attention to what is working, adapting when the evidence changes, and continuing to build work that feels meaningful, sustainable, and alive.

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast
• Stream the podcast from your favorite platform and follow the show: https://twopiers.buzzsprout.com/649285/follow

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Thea Charles and Bob Greene for a discussion about the power of questions in leadership.

Together, they explore why asking better questions is such a valuable skill for leaders, coaches, facilitators, managers, and anyone responsible for helping people think more clearly. The conversation covers open-ended questions, delegation, active listening, performance conversations, team development, and the shift from being the person with the answer to being the person who helps others find their own.

Erica, Thea, and Bob also discuss why “why” questions can sometimes create defensiveness, how leaders can use “what” and “how” questions more effectively, and why giving people space to answer is just as important as asking the question itself.

In This Episode

Erica, Thea, and Bob discuss:

• Why powerful questions are a practical leadership skill
• How leaders can move away from the pressure to have all the answers
• The difference between being a bottleneck and becoming a multiplier
• How questions support better delegation
• Why open-ended questions often create better insight
• The limits of “why” questions in interpersonal conversations
• How to ask questions without leading people toward a predetermined answer
• Why space, silence, and follow-up questions matter
• How questions can support team ownership, creativity, and problem-solving
• Why coach education can be valuable for leaders, even if they do not plan to become professional coaches

Key Takeaway

Better questions help leaders build trust, develop people, and create more ownership across teams.

For leaders who are used to being rewarded for having answers, this can be a meaningful shift. The value is no longer only in knowing what to do. It is also in creating the conditions for better thinking, stronger conversations, and more sustainable action.

Interested in Building Your Question-Asking Skills?

Erica, Thea, and Bob all teach in the University of New Hampshire Certificate in Professional Coaching program.

This live online program is designed for people pursuing professional coaching as well as leaders, managers, and professionals who want to bring coaching skills into their work. The program includes hands-on coaching practice, reflection, mentorship, and real-time feedback, with a focus on skills such as active listening, powerful questions, ethical practice, accountability, and supporting growth in others.

Enrollment is open for the Fall 2026 cohort.

Learn more about the UNH Certificate in Professional Coaching:
https://training.unh.edu/coaching

About the Guests

Thea Charles

Thea Charles, PCC, is a mentor coach, leadership coach, educator, and consultant whose work includes coach education, mentor coaching, leadership development, and support for coaches pursuing ICF credentials.

Connect with Thea:

• Website: https://thearenel.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thea-charles

Bob Greene

Bob Greene, MS, ACC, is a coach, consultant, facilitator, and trainer who works with individuals and teams on leadership development, career development, team effectiveness, communication, conflict resolution, and organizational development.

Connect with Bob:

• Website: https://www.bgcoach.net/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertdgreene

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Andrea D. Carter, founder of Belonging First and a globally recognized expert in neuroscience-based belonging in the workplace.

Andrea helps clarify what organizations often mean, and sometimes miss, when they talk about belonging. Rather than treating belonging as a vague culture concept or a checklist of initiatives, Andrea explains how it can be measured and strengthened through five indicators: comfort, connection, contribution, psychological safety, and well-being.

Erica and Andrea discuss why belonging matters for trust, motivation, retention, performance, and sustainable ways of working. They also explore common organizational pitfalls, including checkbox belonging, over-reliance on individual resilience solutions, and change efforts that are done to employees rather than with them.

In This Episode

Erica and Andrea discuss:

• What workplace belonging really means
• Why psychological safety is only one part of belonging
• The five indicators of belonging: comfort, connection, contribution, psychological safety, and well-being
• How belonging connects to organizational performance and retention
• Why clarity is especially important during onboarding, team changes, and reorganizations
• The “100% responsibility trap” and why belonging requires shared accountability
• Why resilience tools cannot fix systems that are burning people out
• How checkbox belonging can leave daily behaviors unchanged
• Accessibility, disability, and designing work environments with people in mind from the start
• Why AI implementation and other change efforts need co-creation, not just rollout

Key Takeaway

Belonging is not something employees should have to earn by decoding the culture, fitting in, or navigating unwritten rules on their own.

Organizations can build belonging more intentionally by looking at the systems, expectations, relationships, leadership behaviors, and workload norms that shape how people experience work every day.

About Andrea D. Carter

Andrea D. Carter is the founder of Belonging First and the creator of the Belonging First methodology. Her work helps organizations measure and improve belonging through research, consulting, leadership support, and organizational strategy.

Andrea is a strategist, researcher, TEDx speaker, adjunct professor at Adler University, and Forbes Council member. Her work bridges belonging, culture, organizational performance, trust, retention, and sustainable ways of working.

Connect with Andrea D. Carter

• Learn more about Belonging First: https://belongingfirst.com/
• Subscribe to Andrea’s Substack, Belonging First: Rethink Culture: https://andreadcarter.substack.com/
• Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreadcarter/

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Christian “Boo” Boucousis, CEO of Afterburner, former fighter pilot, business founder, keynote speaker, and author of The Afterburner Advantage.

Boo brings lessons from military aviation into the world of business leadership, with a focus on systems thinking, execution, reflection, and leading under pressure. In this conversation, Erica and Boo explore what it means to lead with intention, especially when the path forward is uncertain.

They discuss how systems can create more freedom for leaders and teams by reducing the cognitive load of constantly reinventing the basics. Boo also shares the ORCA method, which stands for Objective, Reality, Cause, and Action, as a practical way to connect planning, reflection, and daily behavior.

The conversation also touches on the difference between goals and destinations, why reflection needs to happen frequently enough to be useful, and how leaders can stay focused on what they can control while adapting to what they cannot.

In This Episode

Erica and Boo discuss:

• How fighter pilot mental models can translate into business leadership
• Why systems can create more room for creativity, judgment, and problem-solving
• The difference between managing current operations and leading people into the unknown
• The ORCA method: Objective, Reality, Cause, and Action
• Why leaders should compare perception with reality before deciding what to change
• How daily reflection can turn learning into action
• The difference between goals and destinations
• What “flawless leadership” means in practice
• How success can create pressure, expectations, and unexpected discomfort
• Why “not yet” can be a useful way to think about growth and long-term goals
• The value of looking at the environment, not just ourselves, when building awareness

Key Takeaway

Boo’s final takeaway is to bring intention to two parts of your life: where you are going, and why you are not there yet.

That combination captures much of the conversation. Leaders need a clear destination, but they also need a disciplined way to examine the gap between intention and reality. With regular reflection and small adjustments, teams can build momentum over time.

About Christian “Boo” Boucousis

Christian “Boo” Boucousis is the CEO of Afterburner, a former fighter pilot, keynote speaker, business founder, and author of The Afterburner Advantage. Through Afterburner and his broader leadership work, Boo helps leaders and teams apply fighter pilot ways of working to execution, performance, and decision-making under pressure.

Connect with Boo

• Call Me Boo: https://www.callmeboo.com/
• Afterburner: https://www.afterburner.com/
• Boo’s Afterburner speaker profile: https://www.afterburner.com/speakers/christian-boucousis/
• Connect with Boo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-boo-boucousis
• Follow Boo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianbooboucousis/
• Explore Flawless Leadership: https://www.afterburner.com/our-approach/mindset/
• Learn more about The Afterburner Advantage: https://www.afterburner.com/the-afterburner-advantage/

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo welcomes back author, creative coach, and facilitator GG Renee Hill for a conversation about writing, creativity, identity, and the stories we carry.

GG’s latest book, Story Work: Field Notes on Self Discovery and Reclaiming Your Narrative, explores how inherited beliefs and limiting stories shape the way we see ourselves, make decisions, and move through the world. Together, Erica and GG discuss how writing can help us uncover those stories, examine whether they still serve us, and reconnect with our own voice and values.

In this episode, they explore:

• How writing can support healing, self-understanding, and personal clarity
• The stories we inherit from family, culture, and earlier experiences
• How limiting beliefs become embedded in our behavior
• The three sections of Story Work: Roots and Origins, Truth and Lies, and Voice and Vision
• Creativity as something much broader than traditional artistic expression
• How perfectionism and the inner critic can interfere with journaling and creative work
• The value of practicing imperfection and allowing work to remain messy or unfinished
• Why the process of creating can matter more than the final result

GG also shares her own path from corporate America into writing, coaching, and facilitation. She reflects on how therapy and journaling helped her discover “the story beneath the story” and eventually led her toward work centered on creative expression, self-discovery, and community.

One of the central takeaways from the episode is that writing does not need to be polished, impressive, or intended for anyone else. It can simply be a place to witness yourself more honestly.

As Erica puts it: don’t deprive the world of your imperfect mess.

About GG Renee Hill

GG Renee Hill is an author, creative coach, and facilitator whose work explores writing as a pathway to wellness, personal clarity, creativity, and collective growth.

She is the author of:

• Story Work: Field Notes on Self Discovery and Reclaiming Your Narrative
• The Self-Care Check-In
• A Year of Self-Reflection

GG also facilitates writing workshops, creative writing cohorts, monthly writing prompts, and free public writing sessions designed to help people reconnect with their voices in a supportive, low-pressure environment.

Connect with GG Renee Hill

• Visit All the Many Layers: https://www.allthemanylayers.com/
• Subscribe to GG’s weekly newsletter and Substack, Writing the Layers: https://thelayers.substack.com/
• Follow GG on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ggreneewrites
• Connect with GG on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-gg-renee-hill-28686762/

Through All the Many Layers, you can also learn more about GG’s monthly writing prompts, First Friday free-writing sessions, workshops, creative writing cohorts, and other resources for writers and anyone interested in reflective creative practice.

More from Two Piers

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast

Affiliate disclosure: Some book links in this post are Bookshop.org affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, Two Piers may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support the work we do at Two Piers.

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Naeemah Elias, a TEDx speaker, leadership coach, and founder of Elias Presence Ventures.

Naeemah’s signature message, “Thriving as an Outsider,” explores how difference can become a source of influence and impact. In this conversation, Erica and Naeemah discuss what it means to navigate spaces that were not designed with you in mind, and how outsider identities shape the rules, assumptions, and survival strategies we carry into work and life.

Together, they explore:

• What it means to experience yourself as an outsider
• How family, class, culture, race, neurodivergence, and professional norms shape the “rules” we inherit
• Weaponized gratitude and how it can discourage people from advocating for themselves
• The value of mentors, sponsors, coaches, and trusted advisors
• Why networking is really about building relationships that help us interpret unfamiliar systems
• How to navigate salary negotiations with more clarity and confidence
• The difference between useful adaptation and unsustainable code-switching
• Why authenticity matters during interviews and career transitions

Naeemah also shares practical guidance for people navigating unfamiliar professional environments, including the importance of asking for feedback, building a personal board of advisors, taking time before responding to job offers, and learning the unspoken rules without losing yourself in the process.

Her key takeaway for listeners: phone a friend. When something feels uncomfortable, confusing, or unfamiliar, find someone who understands the terrain and can help you interpret what is happening. You do not have to navigate it alone.

About Naeemah Elias

Naeemah Elias is a TEDx speaker, leadership coach, and founder of Elias Presence Ventures. A former finance executive turned entrepreneur, she helps leaders and organizations create environments where people can speak up, show up, and thrive.

Her work focuses on leadership development, belonging, communication, and helping people who identify as outsiders navigate professional spaces with more clarity, agency, and impact.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Naeemah on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/naeemahelias
• Follow Naeemah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladyelias/
• Visit Naeemah’s YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@eliaspresence
• Watch Naeemah’s TEDx Talk, “Thriving as an Outsider”: https://youtu.be/lnNXcA28J30?si=IkVeQLbsbbu-aU5_
• Watch the “What Would Naeemah Do?” YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxA1sArIOZ_CGCMdhq8Xd7uX68HXchrvQ
• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Two Piers Podcast, Erica D’Eramo is joined by Kathy Berger, an experienced coach who leads coaching initiatives within the nonprofit sector and recently joined the Two Piers coaching team.

Together, they explore the role of coaching in nonprofit organizations, common misconceptions about coaching, and why coaching can be a powerful resource for leaders across all sectors.

Kathy shares her journey into coaching, what drew her to the profession, and how her work supporting nonprofit leaders has shaped her perspective on leadership, burnout, and personal growth. The conversation also examines the unique challenges facing nonprofit organizations, including resource constraints, mission-driven work, leadership transitions, and the increasing need for dedicated space to think strategically.

In this episode, Erica and Kathy discuss:

• What coaching is, and what it isn't
• Common misconceptions about coaching
• Why nonprofit leaders can benefit from coaching
• The connection between mission-driven work and burnout
• Leadership transitions and identity shifts
• The value of strategic thinking and reflection
• How coaching helps people build confidence, clarity, and ownership of their decisions
• Why coaching skills apply across nonprofit, corporate, government, and self-employed environments

Whether you're leading a nonprofit, managing a team, navigating a career transition, or simply looking for a dedicated thought partner, this episode offers insight into how coaching can support growth, resilience, and sustainable leadership.

About Kathy Berger

Kathy Berger is a professional coach with extensive experience supporting leaders within the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as a lead coach within an internal nonprofit coaching program and recently joined the coaching team at Two Piers Consulting.

Her work focuses on helping individuals navigate leadership challenges, professional growth, career transitions, and the complexities of mission-driven work.

Resources & Links

• Learn more about Two Piers Consulting: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com
• Explore coaching services: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/coaching
• Email Kathy Berger at [email protected]
• Browse podcast episodes, summaries, and transcripts: https://www.twopiersconsulting.com/podcast

As a Public Benefit Corporation, Two Piers Consulting offers a 50% discount on coaching services for nonprofit organizations as part of its commitment to supporting mission-driven work.