Transit Unplugged

This week we have the companion interview to the Transit Unplugged TV episode from Hawaii, with Jon Nouchi, Deputy Director of the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services. For the first time, Paul doesn't just sit down with our guest; he walks and rides with Jon on the Number 8 electric bus. Jon tells Paul about his department's commitment to preserving the Hawaiian language and culture right down to having bus announcements in English and Hawaiian. While the conversation wanders into pineapples and food, Jon also reflects with Paul on their spirit of innovation as a crossroads of cultures in the middle of the Pacific. More than pretty beaches and volcanoes, Hawaii and its people are creating transit solutions that are uniquely theirs.

We continue with retired Navy Command Master Chief and co-founder of Lions Guide, Keith "Flip" Griffin, with leadership lessons especially for people in the crucial middle-management layer. Middle managers are the glue that keeps organizations coordinated and connected, and Flip gives advice for managing up to the executives, down to their people, but also out and ahead to what lies on the horizon. This, and the rest of his advice, is crucial for anyone who wants to move up the ladder, and then what to do once you get there.

Also on the show, Elea Carey talks about translating your agency materials into other languages. Google Translate might work okay, but native speakers will give you the edge when trying to really convey your meaning.

Next week on Transit Unplugged In-Depth, we have Noah Berger, Administrator at the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority, talking about his agency, and some really cool pianos.

Tune into Transit Unplugged News and Views wherever you get podcasts, including now YouTube!

If you have a question or want to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

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(00:00) Jon Nouchi and Keith Griffin (01:12) Interview with Jon Nouchi on the Number 8 Bus https://vzyfm.co/3F3wxQf (13:41) Elea Carey's Messaging Minute https://vzyfm.co/3EhVMyh (15:41) Interivew with Kieth "Flip" Griffin on Leadership https://vzyfm.co/3kXxSkD (29:10) Coming up next week Noah Berger https://vzyfm.co/3kRfqdx (29:46) Subscribe to Transit Unplugged on YouTube https://vzyfm.co/3SB9Bx3

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We are excited to bring you this special episode of Transit Unplugged with world-renowned speaker and leadership expert Stephen M. R. Covey. In this riveting conversation, Paul and Stephen talk about what it means to lead people, organizations, and ourselves, today.

Stephen Covey, already an expert on leadership and leadership development, faced a challenge while merging Franklin Quest and the Covey Leadership Center to form FranklinCovey. People who had been rivals and competitors were now working together and building a new company.

And as Stephen tells it, things were not going well.

As he studied the problem, Stephen realized the root cause was a lack of trust. Stephen figured out how to help build trust within the company and how that changed everything for the better and turned things around.

Inspired by this experience, Stephen wrote the best-selling book Speed of Trust. Then based on that book's success, Stephen wrote Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by the Outstanding Work of Literature Awards.

As Paul and Stephen explore the connections between trust, inspiration, and how we lead people, Stephen talks about how we should change our mindset to leading people and managing things. As Stephen says, people want to be led, not managed. They want to feel trusted in their job and then be able to extend that trust back to the company and its leaders.

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did and share it with others.

If you'd like to learn more about Stephen Covey and the Global Trust Practice at FranklinCovey, visit https://www.speedoftrust.com/.

 And as an extra bonus...you can now find the Transit Unplugged podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@transitunpluggedpodcast!

Also on the show, Mike Bismeyer connects Stephen's message of trust and inspiration with kindness and mentorship.

Next week our newsmaker interview is with Jon Nouchi, Deputy Director of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu and our leadership segment features Keith Griffin of Lions Guide.

If you have a question, comment, or want to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

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(00:00) Stephen M. R. Covey This week we have a special episode focused on leadership with world-renowned expert and best-selling author Stephen M. R. Covey. 

Transit Unplugged is now on YouTube! Subscribe today! https://www.youtube.com/@transitunpluggedpodcast https://vzyfm.co/3Zv8Yr0 (00:22) Interview with Stephen M. R. Covey Learn more about Stephen's work at Speed of Trust https://www.speedoftrust.com/ and FranklinCovey https://www.franklincovey.com/ https://vzyfm.co/3y1ZYOK (13:57) Mike's Minute with Mike Bismeyer Learn more about Mike Bismeyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kindnessiscoolbythebiz/ https://vzyfm.co/3tAj8Zy (15:42) Interview with Stephen M. R. Covey, continued https://vzyfm.co/3y1ZYOK (30:16) Coming up next week Jon Nouchi and Keith Griffin Subscribe to the newsletter to stay in the loop at TransitUnplugged.com https://vzyfm.co/3EbUSmJ (31:06) Subscribe to Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube! Subscribe on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@transitunplugged https://vzyfm.co/3SB9Bx3

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This week we bring you two fantastic and thoughtful interviews on Transit Unplugged News and Views. First, transit consultant Christian Kent of Transit Management Consulting, LLC, talks with Paul about two essential topics:

• Delivering paratransit services
• Ensuring our hiring practices are inclusive and welcoming for disabled applicants.

Christian talks about how the world of delivering paratransit has changed in the 30-odd years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) first enacted the rules. He believes there are better, faster, and more sustainable ways to deliver paratransit by looking beyond "typical" paratransit solutions and towards solutions like TNC (transportation network companies) and fully accessible transit. Christian then segues into hiring the disabled. We are in critical need of workers, and the unemployment rate among the disabled is still around 70%, but are our hiring practices inclusive? Do disabled applicants feel welcome to apply? Something we all should ask ourselves when it comes to hiring.

We then move on to another powerful leadership segment with Shawn Moon, Senior Consultant with FranklinCovey. Shawn is the co-author of Leading Loyalty: Cracking the Code to Customer Devotion and talks with Paul about the four critical facets of leadership and building an engaged team. Shawn continues with the three critical pillars of building loyalty with customers and the people you work with. Leadership and loyalty are intertwined together with what Stephen M. R. Covey will be talking about next week with a special Transit Unplugged In-Depth: leadership and trust.

Also in this episode:

• Paul talks more about the Executive Summit during ThinkTransit and one of the burning issues facing the transit industry: fares. You can read more about the Executive Summit on the Trapeze blog.
• Elea Carey talks about how to spread the word that a career in transit isn't just all about driving. There are hundreds of careers in public transit from mechanics to marketing, plumbing to planning and more.

As mentioned above, our special guest next week is Stephen M. R. Covey co-founder of the Global Trust Practice at FranklinCovey. This powerful episode will have you captivated from the first minute and keep you enthralled for the entire show.

If you have a question or want to be a guest on Transit Unplugged email us at [email protected].

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(00:00) Christian Kent and Shawn Moon Transit Unplugged News and Views (00:24) Transit News of the Week with Paul Comfort (10:20) Interview with Christian Kent (33:08) Messaging Minute with Elea Carey (34:59) Interview with Shawn Moon (49:37) Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged (50:33) Subscribe to Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube

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This week we give you the first of three podcast episodes from Paul's recent Pacific tour that took him from Hawaii to Malaysia to Singapore. We kick things off with the CEO of Sarawak Metro, Ts Mazli Mustaffa. Sarawak Metro is in a unique position where they are tasked with building and expanding public transit in their region--a challenge that always fosters innovation. As you'll hear in Paul's conversation with Mr. Mustaffa, they have a tremendous innovation running in Sarawak: an autonomous, green hydrogen-powered trackless tram that works like light rail, but on wheels. This gives them the ability to flexibly manage the service without needing to worry about tracks or railways.

The autonomous rapid transit solution has also had a side benefit as a way to create jobs and technology innovation in the region. From generating green hydrogen to power the fleet to the technology that makes the buses autonomous the Sarawak region is at the cutting edge of these two key technologies.

Also in this episode, Mike Bismeyer brings us Mike's Minute reflecting on last week's guest Eulois Cleckley's leadership segment focusing on people and mentoring.

Next week we have transit consultant Christian Kent chatting with Paul about recruitment and retention and then we have Shawn Moon of FranklinCovey talking about leadership. Shawn will also be a speaker at the Executive Summit during ThinkTransit.

We're very excited to announce our March 1st show will be entirely dedicated to leadership with our very special guest Stephen M R Covey author of Trust and Inspire and Smart Trust. Stay tuned for more about Stephen M R Covey's upcoming episode.

Stay tuned for more about Stephen M R Covey's upcoming episode.

If you have a question or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, you can email us at [email protected].

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(00:00) Ts Mazli Mustaffa, CEO Sarawak Metro (00:30) Interview with Mazli Mustaffa, CEO Sarawak Metro (15:56) Mike's Minute with Mike Bismeyer (18:39) Interview with Ts Mazli Mustaffa, part 2 (25:29) Coming up next week Christian Kent and Shawn Moon (26:14) Attend the Executive Summit at ThinkTransit Learn more at https://www.trapezegroup.com/thinktransit/executive-summit Only $149 and includes access to the entire ThinkTransit conference. https://vzyfm.co/3Kctetr

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One of the hardest things about transit is getting new technology into production. Something that sounds great, but is just a little on the cutting edge is hard for agencies to practically test and trial. This is where The Partnership for New York City and The Transit Tech Lab come in. Stacey Matlen, VP of Innovation at the Partnership for NYC, talks with Paul about how she's helping technology companies and the region's transit agencies test out new ideas and bring the best into production. Right now they have two competitions going for operational efficiency and human capital and you can learn more about these competitions in the show and on the Transit Tech Lab website.

We continue our new leadership series with Eulois Cleckley, Director and CEO of the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works, talking about his formula for helping build leaders and being a leader in his agency. Eulois has been on the show before talking about his vision for transit, now we see how that vision for transit is reflected in his leadership vision. 

"...Leadership really is about people and it's about the people you serve. And it's also about the staff that comes, works very hard for you every single day. And so if you're not focused on making sure you're preparing and protecting your staff, and you're leading your staff and you're setting a sound vision for them; you're really putting a department in a bad position to not be as effective as what it could be. And then for those employees that are highly talented and could go on to do great things, you're suppressing their ability to do so."

Also on the show:

• Paul tells about the retirement of an industry legend, and three new CEOs taking the helms' of their agencies this month.
• Elea gives us some ideas for swag that won't just end up being thrown away.

Next week on Transit Unplugged we have the first of several interviews from Paul's recent Pacific tour. Listen to Paul in conversation with Ts Mazli Mustaffa, CEO of Sarawak Metro in Malaysia, as they talk about the metro system and their green hydrogen efforts.

If you have a question or would like to be a guest on the show, you can email us at [email protected].

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(00:00) Stacey Matlen and Eulois Cleckley (00:04) Opening and Transit News of the Week (05:58) Interview with Stacey Matlen , VP Innovation, Partnership for NYC (16:32) Messaging Minute with Elea Carey (18:19) Leadership segment with Eulois Cleckley (28:43) Coming up next week Ts Mazli Mustaffa (29:24) Check out Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube!

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This week Paul chats with Kate Mattice, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transit Commission, about managing and advising transit agencies and the Virginia Rail Express in one of the most complex and connected regions in the United States. From zero emissions to zero fare, Kate Mattice is tackling the big issues facing transit in Northern Virginia and the U.S. Capitol Region. It's not enough to get people from A to B; you need to plan for C, D, and E as well. In today's new transit environment with zero emissions, zero fare, and infrastructure investments, Kate has a pragmatic vision for getting it done.

You might remember last season's episode with Monica Backmon and her similar task in the region, these two episodes highlight the critical need to cross-agency collaboration in regions like Northern Virginia.

Also this week Mike Bismeyer comments on mentoring and mentorship in Mike's Minute. Mike recently share his work with a new mentee and how the value you get from being a mentor goes both ways.

Next week on Transit Unplugged we have Stacey Matlen, VP of Innovation at Partnership for New York City, and Eulois Cleckley, CEO of the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works.

If you have a question or want to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected].

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(00:00) Kate Mattice, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (00:26) Interview with Kate Mattice, Part 1 (19:49) Mike's Minute with Mike Bismeyer (21:39) Interview with Kate Mattice, Part 2 (26:51) Coming up next week: Stacey Matlen and Eulois Cleckley (27:47) Subscribe to Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube!

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Great leaders foster great innovation. Rikesh Shah is driving innovation at Transport for London (TfL), and Larnzell Harper helps level up transit leaders. Learn about both sides of the equation in two dynamic interviews.

People think innovation is all about new shiny things, but it's really about finding new ways to solve problems. Rikesh Shah, Head of Open Innovation at TfL dives into some of the innovations he's led--and some of them have less to do with moving people than understanding everything about the environment of moving them. We continue with our leadership series with Larnzell Harper, Manager of Training and Development at VIA Metropolitan Transit helping people level up as leaders with pragmatic advice on decision-making and creating a toolbox of leadership tools you can leverage across jobs and situations.

Innovation and leadership are so closely aligned. Building a culture of innovation requires leaders who are okay with false starts and mistakes. Leaders who look at how everyone else has done it and ask, "Can we do this better? Is this really working?" Larnzell and Rikesh typify leaders who make it safe to ask questions, try new things, and push us--and our agencies--to be better.

Also on the show, Paul has the transit news of the week, including a historic grant award for Chicago's Metra, and Elea Carey reminds us that a postcard in the mail could be just the thing to get your message across.

Next week on Transit Unplugged we have Kate Mattice, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Transit Commission.

If you have questions or comments, email us at [email protected].

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(00:00) Rikesh Shah and Larnzell Harper--Innovation and Leadership (00:31) Transit News of the Week (05:36) Interview with Rikesh Shah, Head of Open Innovation, Transport for London (26:15) Messaging Minute with Elea Carey (27:58) Subscribe to Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube (28:45) Interview with Larnzell Harper Manager of Training and Development, VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority (39:20) Coming up next week Kate Mattice of the Northern Virginia Transit Commission

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Join Paul in conversation with Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad and Interim President of Long Island Rail Road in New York. As Catherine says in her chat with Paul, New York wouldn't be New York without transit. Getting from A to B efficiently makes buses, subways, and trains.

These two critical rail lines provide commuters with critical connections throughout the New York Metropolitan Area, and the new stations--like Grand Central Madison--will make connections even smoother. Learn about all the plans for connecting New York, her career, and her look ahead at how rail fits into the larger transportation picture in this week's Transit Unplugged In-Depth.

Also in this episode, Mike Bismeyer gives his leadership insight in Mike's Minute--now airing on In-Depth shows!

If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected] or sign up for the newsletter so you're always in the loop with what's going on with the show.

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(00:00) Catherine Rinaldi Full Show (00:13) Interview with Cathy Rinaldi, Part 1h (20:34) Mike's Minute with Mike Bismeyer (22:18) Interview with Cathy Rinaldi, part 2 (29:24) Subscribe to Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube (30:16) Closing and coming up next week

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This week we kick off something new on Transit Unplugged. Every other week, in addition to our newsmaker interview, Paul will talk with a leadership expert on developing and improving your leadership skills. No matter what level you're at in your organization, these segments are essential to your career. As this week's guest Dale Walls, founder of Lions Guide, says: "You're always the leader of yourself."

Paul kicks off the show with Matthew Daus, Partner and Chair of Transportation Practice Group Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP, talking about combatting congestion and some of the things to look out for this year. We hear from Elea Carey on how to communicate personnel changes at your agency--and get your announcements noticed. Finally, Paul chats with Dale Walls about leveling up your skills with courage, clarity, and leadership.

Next week on Transit Unplugged, we have Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro North Railroad and Interim President of the Long Island Railroad for New York MTA.

If you have a question, comment, or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected]. And don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter so you're always in the loop with what's going on with the show.

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(00:00) Introduction and News (06:22) Interview with Matthew Daus (16:57) Elea Carey's Messaging Minute (18:33) Interview with Dale Walls on leadership (33:36) Subscribe to Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube (34:23) Coming up next week on the show...

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Paul kicks off 2023 talking with Jim Derwinski CEO of Metra Commuter Rail in Chicago. The changing face and role of commuter rail in connecting suburbs to cities was a big topic in 2022 and will certainly continue throughout 2023. As we see Tuesday-Thursday cities and flattening the peak across North America and the world, we're seeing commuter rail becoming less about "get me to work on time" and more "get me into the city for fun without my car."

But what does this mean for the future of rail properties? How will they adapt to the changing passenger needs? Jim Derwinski talks about what Metra Commuter Rail is doing as part of Chicago's larger transportation system. Jim's vision is for people to be able to jump on any mode of transport and get to where they are going quickly, seamlessly, and cheaply. As Mohamed Mezgahni said in the 2022 year-end wrap-up (listen now if you haven't had a chance), public transport in all its forms will be essential to fighting climate change and making our cities more liveable places in the future.

Next week on the show, we have Matthew Daus, Partner and Chair of the Transportation Practice Group at Windels Marx talking about moving people in the Big Apple.

If you have a question, comment, or want to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected] and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter so you're always in the look with what's going on with the show.