UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders

Regina Huber has lived in six countries, speaks multiple languages, knows dances from across Africa, and built businesses on two continents. But her biggest UH-OH didn’t happen on the dance floor. It happened in Brazil when a trusted business partner drained a joint account to buy himself a shiny new car, derailing their entire venture and leaving Regina with a $100,000 loss, an angry neighborhood, and a long road back to confidence.

In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, Regina shares the moment everything fell apart, what it cost her financially and emotionally, and the two-year climb it took to close the business, recover from the blow, and rebuild her identity. Most importantly, she reveals how owning the mistake, stepping out of victim mode, and reclaiming integrity set her up for the next chapter of her leadership journey in New York City.

This episode proves that even the toughest crash can lead to a stronger comeback if we’re willing to face the lesson, forgive ourselves, and keep moving forward. Courage isn’t found in the win. It’s forged in the UH-OH.

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In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, Ben-Jamin Toy chats with the endlessly energetic Dr. Danny Brassell, a man who’s lived enough careers to fill a mini-series and enough UH-OH moments to keep it interesting.

Danny opens up about the weekend he and his wife bought ten investment properties across the country, from Phoenix, to Salt Lake City, Mississippi, Indianapolis, and Florida. The deal looked golden… right up until it evaporated into a multi-million-dollar catastrophe that came bundled with stress, travel overload, bankruptcy, and a spiritual reckoning.

He talks candidly about what the mistake cost him, the toll it took on his family, and how it pushed him into the speaking business that eventually became his professional sweet spot. Danny shares what he learned about trust, judgment, marriage, faith, and the gritty reality of getting back up after life knocks you flat.

He also reframes his big UH-OH as the turning point that unlocked everything he does today, including coaching, storytelling, and helping leaders turn their own vulnerabilities into powerful narratives. And yes, he leaves you with a gift: a free story-crafting blueprint at freestoryguide.com.

It’s an honest, funny, and deeply human conversation with a guy who proves you can lose everything… and still come out with more than you expected.

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In this episode of Uh-Oh Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, Dr. Troy and Ben-Jamin welcome the dynamic and deeply authentic Kenya Dunn. Known for her power, influence, and transparency, Kenya brings the kind of honesty leaders rarely show publicly.

From plant lessons to business lessons, Kenya draws unexpected connections between growth, care, and the moments where everything nearly falls apart. You’ll hear the candid UH-OH that shaped Kenya’s leadership approach, the cost of the mistake, how she turned it around, and the intentional plan she uses so it never happens again.

This episode is a refreshing mix of humor, self-awareness, humility, and practical leadership advice you can use immediately.

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In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, hosts Dr. Troy and Ben-Jamin Toy welcome Rosie Zilinskas. Rosie is a Certified High Performance Coach, keynote speaker, and founder of No Woman Left Behind. Rosie shares her powerful journey from surviving a difficult divorce to thriving as a corporate executive and coach dedicated to empowering women in the workplace.

Listeners will hear Rosie’s candid UH-OH moment: the realization that waiting to be noticed for her hard work was holding her back from career advancement. She reveals how self-advocacy, preparation, and intentional action transformed her trajectory, leading to promotions and leadership roles. The conversation dives into practical strategies for speaking up, building a vault of accomplishments, and being “promotion ready” before opportunities arise.

Rosie also discusses the importance of addressing personal wounds, overcoming self-doubt, and the role of resilience in professional growth. We connect her story to broader themes of leadership, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and the value of preparedness.

Whether you’re an emerging leader, a woman seeking advancement, or anyone navigating workplace challenges, this episode offers actionable advice, inspiration, and a reminder: success comes from preparation, self-discovery, and the courage to advocate for yourself.

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In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, Dr. Troy and Ben-Jamin Toy chat with Jeff Price, CEO of Communications Advisory Service. Jeff opens up about the costly UH-OH that hit his company for $47,000 and the even bigger impact it had on his confidence, delegation habits, and leadership mindset.

From learning to ask the obvious questions to understanding how integrity sometimes comes with a price tag, Jeff walks through what happened, what it taught him, and how his team rebuilt trust and processes on the other side. This one’s packed with honest leadership insight, personal accountability, and a refreshingly real look at what it means to learn the hard way and grow anyway.

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Even the best leaders have their UH-OH moments. For Danielle Shroyer, a seasoned HR leader turned coach, her big one came down to something deceptively simple: unclear expectations.

In this episode, Dr. Troy and Ben-Jamin Toy chat with Danielle to unpack how a performance improvement plan turned into a lesson in communication, comprehension, and compassion. They talk accountability, silent toxicity, and why Brené Brown's “clear is kind” is a leadership survival skill.

If you’ve ever thought, “They should just know what I expect”, this episode is your wake-up call.

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In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, Dr. Troy Hall and Ben-Jamin Toy chat with John Knowlton, a seasoned entrepreneur and C12 Coach, who shares the moment he realized that setting big goals without changing behavior is a recipe for frustration.

John opens up about the year his wealth management firm set a $1 billion target... then stalled out. Through a candid discussion about time studies, misplaced priorities, and personal accountability, he reveals how the UH-OH turned into one of his most transformative leadership lessons.

From the myth of multitasking to the power of systems over willpower, this episode is a must-listen for any leader chasing growth without losing focus.

Tune in for practical wisdom, self-awareness, and a reminder that real leaders own their UH-OHs then build better systems to prevent the next one.

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What happens when everything you’ve built—your reputation, your funding, your credibility—is rooted in the wrong story?

Dr. Deborah Heiser, founder of The Mentor Project and author of The Mentorship Edge, joins Dr. Troy Hall and Ben-Jamin Toy to share the UH-OH moment that completely changed her career.

As a young researcher in the field of aging, Deborah realized she was studying only one side of the coin—frailty, decline, and disease—without ever asking what we have to look forward to as we age. That revelation forced her to pivot her entire professional path, challenging the status quo and even losing support from peers along the way.

This candid conversation digs into the courage it takes to disappoint others, the power of choosing respect over likability, and why leaders must be kind, not just nice.

If you’ve ever faced a moment that made you question everything you thought you knew, this episode is your roadmap for turning UH-OH into alignment, growth, and purpose.

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When leadership meets culture clash, lessons get learned the hard way.

In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, host Ben-Jamin Toy chats with Kevin Wayne Johnson, founder of The Johnson Leadership Group, to unpack a defining leadership UH-OH.

From his 34-year federal career to leading through union politics and organizational culture, Kevin shares what happens when you step into leadership without understanding the unwritten rules — and how character, respect, and integrity can turn tension into trust.

Whether you’re a new leader or a seasoned executive, this conversation reminds us that leadership should center on people, humility, and learning to ask the right questions before making the wrong moves.

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What happens when a leadership coach loses everything in one phone call?
Dr. Andy Neillie joins hosts Dr. Troy Hall and Ben-Jamin Toy for a candid, faith-filled conversation about what he learned when the 2008 crash forced him out of consulting and into an unexpected new career—running swim schools.

Andy’s UH-OH moment was humbling. From keynote stages to cleaning up beer bottles by the pool, he learned what servant leadership really looks like when ego meets reality.

In this episode of UH-OH Conversations with Cohesive Leaders, the trio unpacks:

• How humility reshaped Andy’s definition of success
• The real difference between leadership theory and lived leadership
• Why “Leaders Eat Last” is more than a slogan—it’s a lifestyle
• And how servant, authentic, and transformational leadership overlap when things go sideways

If you’ve ever thought “I’m too good for this task,” this episode might be the splash of perspective you need.

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