★ Elizabeth McCormick, former Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the US Army, served when less than 1% of Military pilots were women. As a decorated pilot, she flew numerous missions as a Chief Warrant Officer, including United Nations peacekeeping, air assault, command and control, VIP, multi-ship, and top-secret military intelligence missions.
★ She earned numerous awards for her service in the military including the Meritorious Service Medal. In 2011, Elizabeth was honored with the US Congressional Veteran Commendation for her community service as a military veteran.
★ Elizabeth is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, recently named #13 on the list of top 30 motivational speakers in the world by Global Gurus and listed as #5 on the list of Leadership Experts to follow online.
★ She is also a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Certified Virtual Presenter (CVP), and Certified Virtual Host (CVH). Elizabeth has earned certifications from the Maxwell Leadership program: Certified Team Member, Executive Director, and Corporate Facilitator. In 2001 Elizabeth was added to the Faculty of the Maxwell Leadership program.
★ As a prolific author, she has sold more than 40,000 copies of her personal development book,
"The P.I.L.O.T. Method: the 5 Elemental Truths to Leading Yourself in Life". Her 20th book, "Just FLY: Personal Leadership in Turbulent Times" is due out later in 2025. Drawing from her experience as a corporate manager and award-winning sales consultant, she has authored over 18 books in her tip book series, "Soar 2 Success", on a variety of leadership, business, and entrepreneurial topics.
★ Elizabeth has been seen on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, CW, News Nation, MSNBC, NBC, TMZ, (and many more) and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, London Times, and other global publications in Australia, Japan, and Brazil as an authority on military and leadership issues with the media.

Prem Talreja is an experienced technology leader​ known for his strategic vision,​ storytelling mindset, and​ ability to drive innovation at scale.​ After a successful​ career spanning decades across​ engineering, marketing, and business leadership, Pre​m came out of retirement to found LunaGen, driven by a​ mission to ​help organizations harness the transformative​ power of AI through practical,​outcome-oriented​ solutions.
As CEO of LunaGen, he leads initiatives to accelerate​ business growth by developing tailored, agentic AI​ systems designed to improve operational efficiency and​ unlock new opportunities. He collaborates with​ cross-functional teams to​ ensure that AI is not only​ implemented, but also effectively aligned with core​ business objectives.

Marc Hernandez is the President of 22Brands, where he leads branding, digital marketing, and client experience strategies for mid-market businesses. Under Marc’s leadership, 22Brands utilizes its proprietary Message Clarity Map to help businesses focus on creating clarity and eliminating confusion. Marc is dedicated to building authentic brands that connect with their ideal audiences and drive measurable growth.
A purpose-driven entrepreneur, Marc blends creative thinking with a heart for people, fostering a culture where individuals and businesses alike can thrive. His leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that lasting success stems from serving others, investing in authentic relationships, and prioritizing impact over financial outcomes alone.
Marc’s career includes extensive experience in brand strategy, sales leadership, digital marketing, client experience, and cloud technologies. As the founder of 22Brands, he has earned a reputation for helping businesses simplify complex messaging and craft strategies that open doors to opportunity. Known for facilitating clarity and inspiring positive change, Marc brings a versatile skill set to problem-solving and guiding executive leaders through organizational challenges. His entrepreneurial journey began in 2011, when his passion for helping others began taking shape.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Marc is a dedicated husband to Tiffany, and father to three sons. Living in Keller, Texas, he enjoys golf, photography, music and traveling as ways to recharge and stay connected with his values. Marc’s mission extends beyond business success - he's driven to make a difference as a believer, husband, father, and mentor in both his personal and professional relationships.
Marc holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications from The University of Texas at Austin, a foundation that has shaped his ability to create meaningful connections.

Armel R. Kouassi is Senior Vice President and Global Head at Northern Trust, a leading global financial services firm. In his role, Armel is responsible for optimizing balance sheets, managing financial risks, generate growth, earnings and driving portfolio performance across Northern Trust’s diverse business lines. With a focus on wealth management, asset servicing, and fiduciary services, Northern Trust serves institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Armel’s leadership philosophy blends transformational and servant leadership, with an emphasis on resilience, ethical decision-making, and creating a balanced, values-driven culture where teams can thrive.
Throughout his career, Armel has garnered extensive experience across banking, corporate finance, fintech, and financial risk management. Having held senior roles at major institutions such as State Street Corporation, M&T Bank, Citi, and GE Capital, Armel has built a comprehensive understanding of global finance. His entrepreneurial spirit and senior banking experience have allowed him to lead across multiple sectors in the U.S., Europe, and Africa.
Armel is deeply committed to community involvement and philanthropy. He is a passionate advocate for economic empowerment, the arts, and music and serves on the board of the Edmond Town Hall Theater, cultural landmark that enriches the lives of Connecticut residents. Board of Directors of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut. He serves on the board of the scholars of finance, an organization on a mission to inspire character and integrity in the young finance leaders of tomorrow. He serves in the FinTech Advisory Board for the Center for Financial Professionals. Armel was named Presidential Leadership Scholar 2023 as a bold, principled and visionary leaders in US making a difference in the world; and learning the presidential leadership of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson and their administrations. Outside of work, Armel is a father of three daughters, a private pilot and enjoys lifelong learning, supporting youth leadership, and promoting ethical leadership in the financial sector.

Dr. Stacie Pinderhughes is a seasoned Physician Executive with dual board certifications in Geriatric Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Over the past decade, she has honed her skills in clinical and operational leadership, steadfastly committed to improving patient and family health outcomes.
Throughout her tenure as Chief Medical Officer, Stacie has forged strong partnerships with CEOs and senior management teams, driving advancements in hospital utilization, new service line development, medical management, post-acute services, pharmacy operations, and quality improvement initiatives. Her expertise extends to leading strategic retreats, conducting market assessments, and implementing effective strategies, all backed by data analytics to introduce innovative healthcare affordability solutions.

Aaron Fowler, Senior Client Success Manager at Qnary , is the guest of this episode. During the conversation, he shared the latest about the use of AI to improve your online presence thanks to tools like Chat GPT.

Qnary is an award-winning executive reputation management and talent branding solutions company. Qnary was listed as one of the 5000 fastest-growing companies in America by Inc magazine and was also listed as one of the 360 best companies by Entrepreneur magazine in 2018 and 2019. By leveraging executives’ social media presence, Qnary helps establish and elevate their thought leadership, ultimately positively impacting business growth, brand awareness, and talent acquisition/ retention for their respective organizations. Since 2012, Qnary has helped hundreds of the largest companies in the world across a full-range of business verticals (banking, packaged goods, retail, energy, media, real estate, insurance, education, healthcare, automotive, food and beverage) optimize their digital footprints. 

Aaron is an experienced Senior Client Success Manager with a passion for problem-solving and simplifying the complex. Aaron's go-to phrase is "How hard can it be?" It's insane how much you can figure out when your main objective is figuring out what the root of the issue is and how to most effectively solve it. 

As the Founder and CEO of Wet Cement, Jennifer helps organizations build cultures where everyone can reach their full potential. With over two decades of leadership experience at top tech and media companies like Yahoo, AOL, and WebMD, she has dedicated her career to advancing gender equity, fostering inclusive leadership, and empowering individuals to achieve their best.
Through keynote speaking, training, coaching, and consulting, Jennifer delivers actionable strategies rooted in the ‘Fearless Fundamentals’: Confidence, Communication, Connection, Control, and Culture. These pillars guide her mission to break down barriers to success, equipping executives and organizations with tools to create thriving, inclusive environments.
Whether helping companies:
- develop their employees' skills
- cultivate cultures of belonging where everyone is heard and valued
- advance women in the workplace through Women's ERG strategies and programming
- advise leaders on diversity and inclusion initiatives or
- inspiring audiences through memorable keynotes,
She is passionate about creating positive, lasting change.
Her unique background spanning corporate leadership, journalism and fitness, allows Jennifer to motivate and connect with various audiences. This unique perspective drives her ability to craft programs that resonate deeply and inspire action.

Karthik is a seasoned business transformational leader with over 30 years of experience and led two organizations to become $ 1 Bn+ Product engineering/Digital engg businesses over the last 25+ years. He believes in building technology that powers the human future potential. He has been in CXO roles including CEO,COO,Business unit head for public listed organizations HQ in India, he has been an executive board member for 4+ years. Developed market expansion programs and domain expertise across industries including auto,semicon,technology,telecom,aerospace,energy,and healthcare working closely with Fortune-500 client CXOs.He has been part of the NASSCOM Executive Council and ER&D chair for many years.
Former CEO and Executive Director at Cyient where he led the organisation and transformed it as a global technology solutions powerhouse. During his tenure over the last 5 years, he integrated cloud, AI, data analytics, and intelligent engineering to drive innovation, growing Cyient’s market-cap many folds and putting the company on path to a $1 billion annual run rate business. Previously at Tech Mahindra, Karthik built the integrated engineering services division into a billion-dollar business, closing over $2 billion in strategic deals within seven years.
Throughout his 31-year career, he has driven growth through diverse business models like closing ten M&As,one IPO,strategic subsidiary creation and a joint venture, many product/site carve-outs,IP led deals,Venture investments, etc including Cyient DLM's IPO.
Karthik served as co-chair of the Engineering Services Forum at NASSCOM and as a member of the NASSCOM Executive Council.He is also part of NASSCOM’s Strategic Skills Council and is in VIT’s academic council.He has nurtured and mentored many Industry professionals and regularly advises startup founders. He is passionate about building AI-ready talent, creating environments where technical excellence & human potential thrive together.

Jacobē Bell co-founded Equity Consulting Group, a nonprofit that prioritizes transforming school systems in pursuit of equity for all.
She also currently serves as the Network Director at Teaching Matters, where she oversees initiatives that empower school leaders, support educators, and improve student outcomes through professional development and systems change.
For the last five years at Teaching Matters, Jacobẽ has served as the Network Director. In this role, she leads a grant-funded initiative dedicated to improving student outcomes across a network of 16 middle schools. Her work is centered on equity, continuous improvement, and data-driven strategies to ensure that students are on track by 8th grade—measured by attendance, GPA, and Math/ELA state test scores.
She brings expertise in instructional coaching, culturally responsive education, and systems change to support school leaders and educators in implementing evidence-based practices. By fostering collaboration, she drives meaningful progress through:
✅ Network-wide strategy & facilitation – Leading events, sharing continuous improvement and culturally responsive practices, and ensuring alignment across schools
✅ Continuous improvement & data monitoring – Tracking PDSA cycles, common assessments, and student perception metrics
✅ Instructional coaching & leadership development – Training and supervising a team of Teaching Matters’ coaches, ensuring high-impact support for educators and increased outcomes for students
✅ Equitable learning environments – Working with Instructional coaches to embed culturally responsive practices and structures for sustainable improvement
She collaborates closely with cross-functional leadership—including Service Design, Research & Evaluation, and eLearning Design—to create conditions where instructional coaches, teachers, and students thrive. Her passion lies in driving systemic change that leads to lasting success for all learners.

Nicole McNamara is a customer-obsessed executive at the intersection of business strategy, technology, and experience design. She specializes in enterprise growth, CX transformation, and loyalty strategy—helping companies turn every customer interaction into a competitive advantage.
With over 20 years of experience advising Fortune 500 leaders and high-growth innovators, Nicole has built a reputation for transforming transactional relationships into trusted partnerships. As the head of Salesforce’s 80+ person innovation team, she led customer-centric growth initiatives that drove over $250M in annual revenue—proving that long-term loyalty and market leadership go hand in hand.
Nicole is a strategist by design and a storyteller by instinct. She knows that the best customer strategies don’t start with data—they start with empathy. From architecting cross-functional CX programs to aligning product, sales, and service around a unified customer journey, she ensures every initiative delivers measurable impact and deepens brand trust.
Outside of work, Nicole co-founded The Phoenix Club, an executive community for career reinvention, and hosts the podcast Who Moved My Career? She’s a frequent speaker and advisor on customer leadership and transformational growth. And when she’s not shaping strategy in the boardroom, you’ll find her mentoring rising talent, supporting women-owned businesses, or pouring pints at The Smallest Irish Bar in America.