UNTRAINED

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Kathy Delaney-Smith, the winningest coach in Ivy League history, who transformed Harvard women's basketball through her innovative approach to leadership.

Episode Highlights:Kathy shares her groundbreaking "act as if" principle and reveals how she helped hundreds of female athletes break free from perfectionism to reach their full potential. As an early pioneer of relational leadership, Kathy's approach was ahead of its time.You'll discover her framework for untraining perfectionism and hear the story behind her upcoming book "Grit and Wit: Empowering Lives and Leaders." You'll also hear why it was once humorously titled "Get Your Head Out of Your Ass Because You're Missing Out."

Key Insights:

• The power of relational leadership in building trust and fostering growth
• Why celebrating mistakes creates innovation and resilience
• Practical strategies for adapting leadership styles across generations
• Managing the challenges of coaching in the social media era
• Implementing the "act as if" principle in any setting
• Effective techniques for giving and receiving feedback

Drawing from her 40-year coaching career, Kathy's unique blend of tough love, humor, and genuine care offers valuable lessons for leaders in all fields.

Connect & Share:

• Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts
• Share this episode with a leader who needs to hear it
• Subscribe to Untrained for more transformative conversations
• Follow us on LinkedIn 

Resources Mentioned:

• Kathy’s website and link to her book Grit and Wit: https://kathydelaneysmith.com/

Struggling to get quality sleep? You're not alone. This week on The Untrained Podcast, we sit down with renowned sleep expert Dr. Meeta Singh, who has worked with elite athletes (think LA Lakers and Washington Nationals) and high-achieving professionals to optimize their rest for peak performance.
Here's what we cover:

• Why sleep is a non-negotiable for health, performance, and emotional well-being
• Key strategies to optimize your sleep, including:
  • Limit caffeine and stimulants after midday
  • Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends
  • Create a 30-60 minute wind-down routine before bed
  • Avoid screens at least 30 minutes before sleeping
• How to create the ideal sleep environment:
  • Keep your bedroom dark and cool (65-68°F)
  • Use white noise to minimize disturbances
  • Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation
• The connection between daytime habits and nighttime sleep quality
• Practical strategies for busy executives, parents, and anyone juggling it all

About Dr. Meeta Singh
Dr. Meeta Singh, a leading Sleep Medicine expert, has an exceptional track record of enhancing athlete performance and well-being through advanced sleep science. Her education and training at the Mayo Clinic and Henry Ford Health System, combined with her fellowship at the Institute of Coaching at Harvard McLean, provide a solid foundation for her innovative approaches to sleep and performance.
Dr. Singh has been instrumental in the success of numerous sports teams and individual athletes, utilizing bespoke athlete sleep profiling with FDA-approved monitors to revolutionize recovery and performance strategies. Her collaborations have spanned a wide range of sports and organizations, including:

• Baseball: Washington Nationals (World Series Champions), New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, LA Angels, and Cincinnati Reds.

• Basketball: LA Lakers, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons.Hockey: New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.

• Football: Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, and Denver Broncos.

• Soccer: Belgium National Team.

• Motorsport: Working with Ferrari race car drivers, highlighting her versatility and ability to adapt her expertise to the unique demands of high-stakes motorsports.

Dr. Singh's impact extends beyond team sports, as she has also provided personalized support to individual athletes and coaches across various disciplines, underscoring her commitment to the individual needs of her clients.
Her work has not only contributed to major victories, such as the World Series win with the Washington Nationals, but also to the personal and professional development of athletes and coaches. Dr. Singh's dynamic keynotes and leadership consultations have made her a valued asset to any sports program, enhancing team dynamics and fostering a culture of success and well-being.
Dr. Singh's broad array of collaborations demonstrates her unparalleled expertise in the field of sleep medicine within the sports industry. Her commitment to excellence and innovation continues to set new benchmarks for athlete care, making her an essential partner for teams and individuals aiming for the pinnacle of performance and health.

Connect with Dr. Singh:  http://www.meetasinghmd.com/

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• Follow The Untrained Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
• Leave us a review to help others find this content and support our mission of helping people make work work.

In this powerful episode of The Untrained Podcast, we're joined by Clara Bingham, award-winning journalist and author of The Movement: How Women's Liberation Transformed America. Together, we delve into one of the most transformative decades in history—1963 to 1973—a period that reshaped women's possibilities in education, sports, and the workplace.

Clara shares compelling stories from her interviews with over 120 women, giving voice to the pioneers who fought for gender equality. From Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, to Billie Jean King’s iconic "Battle of the Sexes," and the legislative efforts of leaders like Bella Abzug and Shirley Chisholm, this episode honors the trailblazers who paved the way for generations to come.

What You’ll Learn:

• The major milestones in the women’s liberation movement between 1963–1973.
• Personal stories of courage and activism that led to historic changes.
• The ongoing relevance of these battles in today's fight for equality.

Elizabeth DeMaso currently serves as the president of an independent advertising agency and is the founder/host of the "More Everything" podcast. Her tagline: "For anyone thinking there must be more to life than this, there is more of everything." As a working mom who has faced health challenges and divorce in the last few years, she has had to learn new skills and let go of ones that weren’t serving her.  
Her life doesn’t look much different on the outside than it did 5 years ago, but on the inside so much has improved. Join us in this conversation of how reorienting towards taking better care of ourselves, can create profound change over time.  Find out what that looked like for Elizabeth's journey, and be invited into how to make changes in your own life. We will cover how Elizabeth:

• Realized she was competing for things that didn't truly matter
• Health scare forced her to rely on others
• Shifted focus from achievement to meaning and alignment
• Focuses on moving through challenges rather than "fixing" everything
• Her More Everything podcast was born from desire to share authentic stories of life's messiness and meaning

Connect with Elizabeth:
https://www.more-everything.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-demaso-29963b6

In this episode of Untrained, hosts Iris and Whitney welcome Sarah Cusick, founder of Meeting House and expert in executive coaching with a DEI lens. Sarah brings her extensive experience from her roles at the Atlantic, the Obama Foundation, and Teach for America to discuss the nuances of belonging and bias in professional settings. We sat down with her to learn more about her work with corporate executives UNTRAINING unconscious bias in the workplace. We share with you in this episode what that looks like in her coaching and the tools and strategies that anyone can practice.

Episode Highlights:

• We explore how women in male-dominated spaces can navigate leadership transitions up the ladder
• Sarah shares a reframe around  "executive presence" vs "leadership presence" 
• We explore the difference between true belonging and pseudo-inclusion
• Sarah shares her experience working with leaders to recognize and address unconscious bias and its impact
• Sarah shares how bias can affect opportunity distribution and career advancement
• We explore research around how we can intentionally feed our brain more diversity of dialects, stories, etc to give it more data which can reduce unconscious bias
• We discuss the value of self-awareness in leadership development

About Sarah Cusick

Sarah Cusick provides executive coaching and consulting with a DEI lens. She has held senior roles in diversity, equity, inclusion, and learning development at prestigious organizations. Sarah is a Professionally Certified Coach (PCC) and has presented at Columbia University's International Coaching Conference on cultural competency for coaches and leaders.
If you love the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review! Also, follow us on LinkedIn at The Untrained Podcast.

Aquil Abdullah, OLY is a trailblazing athlete and accomplished professional in the tech industry. As a member of the United States Rowing Team from 1999 to 2004, Aquil made history as the first African-American male to qualify for the Summer Olympics in rowing, competing in the 2004 Athens Games. His journey to the Olympics was marked by dedication and resilience, overcoming setbacks, including narrowly missing qualification in his first attempt by just 33/100 seconds. 
Beyond his athletic achievements, Aquil is currently a Principal Software Engineer at Hydrow, Inc. (think Peloton but for rowing). As a featured athlete at Hydrow, he advocates for those on the fringes of sports, inspiring the next generation to pursue their dreams.
Aquil is also a musician, a surfer, a deep thinker, a big personality and husband and father. In this episode we discuss

• The courage and self-trust it takes to leave a path when it doesn’t feel like hard work and tenacity can save the day
• Strategies and benefits of maintaining connection and empathy as a leader in high-pressure environments
• The untraining he had to pursue to be the best version of himself
• The challenges of identity shifts when transitioning between careers. 
• The rich personal growth and self-trust that can evolve out of our deep disappointments if we are open to it
• Encouragement to view setbacks as part of a larger "masterpiece" in one's life journey

 Connect with Aquil on LinkedIn.
Aquil's Medium article that Whitney referenced in the episode 

If you love the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review!
Also, follow us on LinkedIn at The Untrained Podcast.

We are thrilled to be chatting with Megan Jo Wilson in today’s episode. 

Megan Jo is a certified coach, leadership trainer, musician, and founder of Rockstar Camp for Women. Megan Jo shares her unique journey from being a musician, farmer, and chef to the development of her innovative leadership program that combines music and self-expression to empower women.

We chat about Megan Jo's 20-year coaching career, her insights on overcoming fear and imposter syndrome, and the profound impact of her Rockstar Camp, which fosters confidence and community.

We dive into themes of unlearning societal expectations, authentic self-expression, and creating a supportive sisterhood. We also touch on the importance of redefining success and playing big by aligning actions with personal values and desires.

What we will explore in this episode: 

• The transformative power of music. 
• Experiential learning, being in the spotlight, and facing your fears! 
• Playing big vs. playing small.
• Building a better relationship with yourself.
• The complicated relationship of wanting to be seen and heard.

 Guest Bio:  Megan Jo Wilson is a mother, a feminist, a Certified Professional Coach and author of the best-selling business books, “Who the F*ck Am I To Be A Coach", and “No More Playing Small." 

A singer and performer since she was a young girl, Megan Jo is also the founder of “Rockstar Camp for Women”, a somatic experiential Leadership Development Program based in Portland, Maine. She believes that confidence can be learned and teaches it by putting untrained shower-singers on stage for one night to perform one song with a live band and audience.

In 2020 she worked as a Master Coach and curriculum writer for Spiritual Teacher and Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson, and is a regular Co-Conspirator with Feminist Icon and Author Regena Thomashauer aka “Mama Gena.”

Her mission to amplify the voices and stories of women is expressed through her work as a coach and artist. Whether she is painting, writing poetry, or leading women to embrace their erotic genius, she loves to challenge the status quo norms in a Patriarchal World Culture and teach other women to do the same.

Connect with Megan Jo: https://www.meganjowilson.com/ 

"Who the F*ck Am I To Be a Coach" Book Download: https://megan-jo-wilson.mykajabi.com/coach-book 

If you love the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review! Also, follow us on LinkedIn at The Untrained Podcast.

We were excited to chat with our friend and colleague, Inga Stasiulionytė about two important topics that are evolving in the corporate and athletic world: feedback and grit. As a performance and leadership coach and former Olympic javelin thrower, Inga has compelling perspectives on these topics. 

For Inga, “grit” means “character-building.” She had a coach who taught her not only that she could train her body but that she could train her character. She now coaches clients to learn how to pursue grit as it relates to their personal leadership journey.  We explore perseverance and rest and grace as key elements of grit.

What we will explore in this episode: 

• Inga’s definition of grit.
• How to break limits in a sustainable way.
• Learning what pain signals growth and what pain warrants rest.
• Understanding your capacity and how to use it

 Guest Bio: 14 years of working with executives in demanding industries has given Inga profound insights into resolving intricate leadership challenges. With years of experience as a competitive Olympic athlete, in business and leadership studies, working as a business analyst, building startups, and leading the first MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, provided Inga Stasiulionyte with a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of striving for self-realization on and off the field. Inga founded OFOUNDERS to provide the best coaching support to ambitious leaders who strive to scale their leadership growth and impact. 

Connect with Inga: 
 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javelingaworld/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/javelingaworld/ 
Website: https://ofounders.com/  
If you love the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review!

Also, follow us on LinkedIn at The Untrained Podcast.

We were excited to chat with our friend and colleague, Inga Stasiulionytė about two important topics that are evolving in the corporate and athletic world: feedback and grit. As a performance and leadership coach and former Olympic javelin thrower, Inga has compelling perspectives on these topics. In our episode about feedback, we examine the results-focused and fear-based feedback approach that many have experienced, and explore the benefits of a strategy aimed at understanding and strengthening relationships. What we will explore in this episode: 

• How to better give feedback AND receive feedback.
• Listening to your body when giving and receiving feedback.
• Feedback isn’t a straight line – it’s more of a loop.
• Giving feedback to different generations.

 Guest Bio: 14 years of working with executives in demanding industries has given Inga profound insights into resolving intricate leadership challenges. With years of experience as a competitive Olympic athlete, in business and leadership studies, working as a business analyst, building startups, and leading the first MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, provided Inga Stasiulionyte with a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of striving for self-realization on and off the field. Inga founded OFOUNDERS to provide the best coaching support to ambitious leaders who strive to scale their leadership growth and impact. 

Connect with Inga: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javelingaworld/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/javelingaworld/ 
Website: https://ofounders.com/  
Radical Candor by Kim Scott: https://www.radicalcandor.com/  

If you love the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review!
Also, follow us on LinkedIn at The Untrained Podcast.