Work From The Inside Out

​Dr. Marie Hélène Pelletier​, aka MH, uniquely bridges business and psychology. With a Ph.D. in Psychology and an MBA, MH has had an extensive career as a leadership psychologist, executive coach, and senior leader in the corporate, insurance and governance sectors. Her award-winning book, ​The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimizing Your Work Performance and Mental Health​, was named a “Top 5 Book to Read” by Inc. Magazine and Forbes. During our interview, MH discussed her formative years, her educational journey in Quebec, her diverse professional development experiences, and her evolution from psychology into management. We delved into the importance of resilience, flexibility, strategic planning, and the integration of psychology and business for leaders and professionals.

As a child growing up in Quebec City, MH enjoyed family trips to outdoor locations beyond the city, where she had the chance to explore and experience a sense of adventure and taking risks. She related this concept of adventure to her early career experiences as a psychologist when she lived in a more remote area of Quebec where mental health services were not plentiful. Yet, the needs were great in various settings. MH prepared herself to work there by taking additional courses to expand her credentials, enabling her to work in the courts, schools, and hospitals. She had to be strategic in this way to make a living doing work she felt was most important. Within the year, however, her plans changed, and she moved across the country to British Columbia to pursue her Ph.D. That presented some challenges as the rules regulating her psychology credentials varied between the provinces, and she had to take a few extra steps to achieve her goal. While on that journey, MH was able to develop other work options by asserting herself and taking some risks. It all paid off.

Today, MH combines her business and clinical expertise, translating research about health, performance, resilience, and overcoming challenges into strategies professionals, leaders, and their teams need to thrive. She is a Member of the Global Clinical Practice Network of the World Health Organization and a past Director on the boards of the Canadian Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology. She has presented and authored numerous industry and academic publications, and many academic and industry awards have recognized her work. MH is a highly rated instructor at the University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business, Executive Education. She is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, an opt-in research community of business professionals.

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At 17, Niven Postma, was a new high school graduate and did not know what she wanted to do. Her mother reminded her that she had a dream to live on a kibbutz in Israel, so off she went. For the next four years, Niven traveled and worked in many countries. Then at 29, she held her first executive position in a career that has spanned multiple sectors and roles. 

Niven is a strategy, leadership, and culture consultant partnering with clients in diverse industries worldwide to (re)ignite the discretionary energy of people and teams, build an enabling culture, and develop meaningful strategies. She speaks on organizational politics, leadership, culture, and women’s leadership to audiences across multiple industries. Before her current consultancy and PhD studies in Organizational Behavior, Niven served as the CEO of the Businesswomen’s Association, Head of the South African Reserve Bank Academy, and Head of Leadership and Culture for the Standard Bank Group (the largest bank by assets in Africa). 

“The real failure is not even trying. This idea that we shouldn't be scared of failure, well, that's impossible. We're all going to be scared of failure. The only thing that jolts us out of the inaction that a fear of failure brings is if we are terrified of regret. That idea that we regret what we don't do, I think is important, that we didn't try.”

Niven is the author of the book, If You Don't Do Politics, Politics Will Do You - A guide to navigating office politics ethically and successfully. She is also a Harvard Business Review and Inc. contributor, a part-time tutor at Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), and a guest lecturer at Stanford University. Niven serves as the Chairman of the Board of Cotlands, an NGO that for 87 years has done cutting-edge work in the Early Childhood Development sector in South Africa and beyond. Niven holds an Executive MBA in systems thinking, human capital development, knowledge management, leadership, and change. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Future Studies and a BA in English Political Science.

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Dr. Corinna Freitag coaches STEM professionals to overcome workplace challenges so that they look forward to Mondays again. She is an executive coach, advisor, and speaker with decades of experience in natural and human sciences through university, industry, and continuing education. Executives hire her to develop and retain their top talent. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, is a certified Executive Coach, and received her Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Corinna grew up struggling to succeed as a student and believing she wasn’t good with people, unlike her older sister, who earned top grades and was more extroverted. As a result of living in her sister’s shadow, Corinna told herself a story that she was ‘the different one.’ 

Fortunately, she had the support of her parents, who fostered her curiosity. Corinna persisted for ten years to earn her doctoral degree in chemistry, a program less frequently pursued at that time, which meant it had lower barriers to entry. Interestingly, Corinna was the first in her family to attend university. 

After a year-long postdoc position at a university in Toronto, Corinna landed her first role in Germany at a Fortune 500 company developing automotive products. That job enabled her to travel globally and work cross-functionally over 18 years. Eventually, she was training others in processes where she had expertise, affording her experience in coaching and mentoring. Corinna was acknowledged as her company's Global Operational Excellence Leader for over 5 years. At the same time, the company was going through a major reorganization, and Corinna was losing her enthusiasm for her job.

Corinna hired a coach to help explore her career options. As part of the self-reflective processes her coach guided her through, she discovered that she was, in fact, good with people! She also realized that she wanted to pursue a coaching certification. In 2022, Corinna left her corporate role to offer coaching on a full-time basis.

Learn more and connect with Corinna here: 

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Paula Caligiuri, PhD is a D’Amore-McKim School of Business Distinguished Professor of International Business and Strategy at Northeastern University and a Co-Founder of Skiilify. She is a work psychologist dedicated to helping companies, teams, and individuals become effective in today’s diverse, multicultural environment.

Raised by blue-collar parents who had immigrated to the US as children, Paula grew up in Buffalo, NY. She attended college intending to study abroad. Paula went to Italy, and soon after her arrival, the stock market crashed, impacting the affordability of her study abroad experience. She stayed and worked to support herself before returning home. Once she returned home, she felt a little lost. Fortunately, Paula had a small circle of supportive faculty members who were tuned into her, and they provided the guidance she needed to reconnect. From there, she decided to attend graduate school and earn her Ph.D. 

Paula has authored or co-authored several articles and books – including Live for a Living: How to Create Your Career Journey to Work Happier, Not Harder, Build Your Cultural Agility: The Nine Competencies of Successful Global Professionals, and Cultural Agility: Building a Pipeline of Successful Global Professionals, and others. She works extensively with leading organizations and universities on the development of individuals’ cultural agility. She has been a frequent expert guest on CNN and CNN International. She is an instructor for two LinkedIn Learning courses entitled "Managing Globally" and "Six Skills to Build Cultural Agility." In 2021 and 2023, Paula was named a semi-finalist for the Forbes “50 over 50” for co-founding a public benefit corporation, Skiilify, to help democratize the acquisition of critical soft skills.

Paula holds a Ph.D. from Penn State University in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and is a Fellow in the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Academy of International Business.

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For more than two decades, Leo Rossi worked with bands and artists such as Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, The Beach Boys, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Billy Idol, and many more to create magical experiences for their audiences. Starting on music tour crews doing lighting installation and design, he became a trusted team member and built a solid career managing hundreds of high-profile tours worldwide.

As a young Italian Catholic boy from the blue-collar Los Angeles port town of San Pedro, Leo Rossi tripped into an improbable dream when he was punished for taking off on his own from a school field trip. His penance was to work on the backstage crew for the school play, which turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him.

Leo Rossi shares his life story, reflects on the transformative experiences and values from his traditional upbringing, and balances the influence of faith with the rock-and-roll lifestyle. He discusses the technological advancements that allowed him to transition into management roles and highlights his involvement with Apple during the early years of the Macintosh. Now retired, Rossi focuses on the Knights of Rock initiative, which is dedicated to preserving the authentic stories of classic rock and supporting charitable causes. Through his talks and storytelling, Rossi emphasizes the importance of dreams, learning from history, and giving back, urging listeners to follow their dreams and share their stories.

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Dr. Ruth Gotian is the Chief Learning Officer and Associate Professor at Weill Cornell School of Medicine in New York City. She returns to the Work from the Inside Out podcast to discuss her new book, "Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," co-authored with Andy Lopata. They emphasize the importance of mentoring in professional development, highlighting that 61% of positive mentoring relationships are formed organically. Ruth stresses the need for diverse mentoring teams and shares insights on the benefits of mentoring, including higher salaries and reduced burnout, as well as the importance of engaging mentors outside one's organization.

She has been hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. In 2021, she was selected by Thinkers50 as one of the eight people worldwide to be named an emerging management thinker. In addition to publishing in academic journals, she is a contributor to Forbes and Psychology Today, where she writes about ‘optimizing success’. Her research is about the mindset and skill set of peak performers, including Nobel laureates, astronauts, and Olympic champions. Her award-winning book, The Success Factor, came out in January 2022.

Discussion on Mentoring and High Achievers

• Ruth stated that mentoring is not just for beginners but also for those looking to grow at all stages of their careers. Mentors provide guidance, support, and new perspectives.
• She discusses the importance of mentoring for high achievers and shares insights from interviews with top achievers, emphasizing the commonality of seeking mentors.

• Ruth discuss the ineffectiveness of many mentoring programs in organizations, emphasizing that 61% of positive mentoring relationships develop organically, not through random assignments.
• She advocates for creating opportunities for people to organically meet, offering a resource on her website with 13 conversation starters to help people initiate conversations and create those organic connections.

• Ruth shares that mentoring relationships can start with casual conversations and evolve over time.
• She explains that mentoring should not be transactional and should be about building strategic professional relationships.

• Dr. Gotian highlights the benefits of mentoring, including higher salaries, promotions, and lower burnout.
• She emphasizes that mentoring is a valuable retention tool for organizations.
• Ruth discusses the importance of having a diverse mentoring team with various perspectives.
• She provides a worksheet on her website to help individuals develop their own mentoring teams.
• Ruth shares personal anecdotes of mentors who transformed her life and career.
• She emphasizes that mentoring is not limited to specific professions or industries and encourages individuals to seek out mentors who can offer different perspectives and expertise.

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From an early age, Harry Duran displayed a natural affinity for technology, tinkering with computers and embracing the latest gadgets. After briefly attending Syracuse University, Harry got distracted and lost his focus. He says he jumped around, never completing his degree, and then applied for a job at Chase Bank as a teller. Harry thought wearing a suit to work meant that he ‘made it.’ He was a quick learner and adapted well, moving up the ranks in the banking world.

In 1999, Harry's innate curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit compelled him to explore opportunities in the dotcom boom, a venture that ultimately fell short. Undeterred, he went into construction with his half-brother in Atlanta, only to return home to his parents, tail between his legs.

Harry took some time to self-reflect and realized that many of his choices were heavily influenced by other people. He recognized the importance of finding his own voice and taking responsibility for his future.

Harry was always interested in electronic music and grew up DJing. That was his first passion. He wanted to start a podcast interviewing DJs because he was fascinated with the culture. Harry also built a mobile app for electronic music. A turning point came in 2014 when Harry attended the New Media Expo in Las Vegas, where he realized the power of podcasting as a platform to share stories and connect with audiences. Inspired, he launched Podcast Junkies, a show that enabled him to hone his interviewing skills and develop a deep understanding of the podcasting landscape.

Harry's entrepreneurial spirit soon took over, and he founded Fullcast, a full-service podcast production and marketing consultancy. Leveraging his corporate experience and newfound podcasting expertise, Harry has helped over 110 clients launch their own shows.

But Harry's journey didn't stop there. In 2019, he identified a niche that ignited his passion – vertical farming. Recognizing the potential to educate and inform audiences about this emerging industry, Harry launched the Vertical Farming Podcast, a show that has since become a leading voice in the space, securing high-profile sponsorships and opening doors to international conferences.

Throughout his winding path, Harry's unwavering commitment to finding his voice and creating his own stage has been the driving force behind his success. From the corporate world to entrepreneurial ventures, his story is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and the pursuit of finding meaningful work from the inside out.

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Joe Sprangel is the founder and principal consultant at Emmanuel Strategic Sustainability LLC, which helps organizations develop a hybrid sustainability strategy that enhances their longevity, profitability, and impact. His expertise includes strategic and tactical planning, change leadership, and humanist manufacturing, a framework that addresses the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit, as developed in his book Humanist Manufacturing: A Humanitarian Approach to Excellence in High-Impact Plant Operations.

Joe is the founding dean of the College of Business & Professional Studies at Mary Baldwin University. He leads the undergraduate departments of business, criminal justice, healthcare administration, and social work. He is also the architect of the Master of Business Administration degree there. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Lawrence Technological University.

Joe has over 45 years of experience in various industries, including manufacturing, education, and consulting. He started his career in high school, cleaning and repairing heavy farm equipment and, soon after, rebuilding machines that manufactured auto parts. With a natural ability to figure how things work and to solve a wide range of problems, he was promoted to an industrial engineer role, which took him out of the plant and into the office. It also allowed him to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. At 40, he earned his MBA and his doctorate by 50.

In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about Joe’s journey:

• Before joining the Mary Baldwin faculty in 2010, Joe taught undergraduate and MBA students at Ithaca College for three years, where his classes included Operations Management, and Decision Support Analysis and Sustainable Practices in Operations & Technology.
• Joe has run 18 marathons, completed an Ironman competition, and continues to compete today.

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When my clients need information, advice or help, I emphasize the importance and methods needed to proactively get the answers to move their goals forward. Yet, too often people hesitate, filling their heads with fear or self doubt, hampering their progress. I usually point out that if they do not make an inquiry or seek more information, then the answer is always NO. Not only is their progress stunted, they feel disappointed in themselves for not following through.

My podcast guest this week, ​Dr. André La Plume​ believes in going beyond the NO to uncover answers to his questions. In our interview, André shares his educational journey, from a French community high school in Winnipeg to earning a PhD in management. His post-PhD career began at Michigan Tech and was followed by his return to Canada as a result of political constraints in the US.

André delves into his interests in strategy, mentorship, and research, leading to the publication of his book on spinout ventures, ​Spinout Ventures: Transitioning from Employees to Entrepreneurs​. It covers the implications of spinout ventures, the academic and real-world perspectives on entrepreneurship, and the evolving regulatory landscape. Through personal anecdotes and professional insights, André emphasizes the importance of taking risks and continuous learning at any career stage.

Today, as a Full Professor in Entrepreneurship and Strategy at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers School of Management, André studies and teaches entrepreneurship and strategy. He is interested in the competitive and institutional barriers preventing potential entrepreneurs from launching new ventures successfully.

André has over a decade of experience working as a business and information technology consultant in corporate Canada. He has performed many roles, including business analyst, systems analyst, project manager, practice leader, and integration architect.

In this week’s ​Work From The Inside Out podcast,​ learn more about Andre’s journey:

• André is a frequent judge at entrepreneurship pitch competitions and an experienced entrepreneur, having launched a startup while in Michigan.
• His research has appeared in top journals like Human Relations, Journal of International Business Studies, and Journal of Business Research, among others.

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​Kelly K. James​ (formerly Kelly James-Enger) has been writing for 20+ years as a full-time freelancer, and most recently, as a corporate content writer. In June 2024, she published her memoir, ​The Book That (Almost) Got Me Fired: How I (Barely) Survived a Year in Corporate America​, an entertaining, honest account of what (and what not) to do when you make that corporate leap in midlife.

As a kid, Kelly loved to read, write, and was an excellent student. In college, she majored in business because it was one of the more competitive programs. Day two of her sophomore year, Kelly had an anxiety attack and left school. She worked in a restaurant and returned to college the next term to study rhetoric, a writing major. A professor told her she would be a good lawyer. She took the LSAT exam, aced it, and went to law school. In 1997, Kelly “escaped from the law.” She practiced law for over five years, yet she knew it was not for her.

Kelly began to write articles for major publications, later adding ghostwriting and authoring her own books. As a ghostwriter, Kelly has penned more than 30 books. She is also a novelist and author of writing-related books including ​Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success​, ​Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition​, and ​Goodbye Byline Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs, and More, Second Edition​.

In 2018, Kelly decided to go work for a small company. She was happily self-employed, yet she was also a single mom and worried about the cost of health insurance.

In 2022, Kelly returned to the law to write legal content full-time for ​Miles Mediation & Arbitration​. In addition, she writes independently about health, wellness, nutrition, and fitness subjects. Her work has appeared in 65+ online and print publications, including Huffington Post, The Girlfriend, NextTribe, Next Avenue, Chicago Health, Vibrant Life, and other markets.

In this week’s ​Work From The Inside Out podcast,​ learn more about Kelly’s journey:

• Kelly has written over 2,000 print and online articles for Family Circle, Health, Parents, Runner’s World, Continental, and NextAvenue, and has produced written content for agencies including MXM, StayWell, and Imagination.
• She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.

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