Working on Purpose

Pregnant and alone at 18, her life should have turned out much differently than it has. But she made a promise to God that she would care for her son with the help of His guidance. With few options after high school graduation, she worked minimum-wage jobs and lived on Medicaid and food stamps. And recently while completing her doctorate, she navigated through significant healthcare challenges that tested her resolve. Today, at age 41, Dr. Cortney Baker has a very full and happy life. She is the CEO of a state-wide, multi-million-dollar healthcare agency with over 300 employees. Now in the process of developing her new consulting and executive leadership coaching business and on the speaking circuit, she continues striving to meet her potential and takes great satisfaction in her various activities to give back to the world. In this episode, Dr. Baker gets real about her journey and shares how she navigated this successful path despite her adversity.

With purportedly 90 percent of all established businesses failing within five years, it’s a wonder many companies ever make it in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace. Ever wonder how these entrepreneurs get their ideas? What keeps them going along the way? What did they actually have to go through to succeed? And how in the world did they keep themselves motivated and performing through all the ups and downs? In this episode, we get to know one very successful Dallas entrepreneur who shares his story of building his business from a one-man shop into a thriving multi-million-dollar company only 10 years later.

Women and girls are surging forward at an unprecedented rate in many parts of the world. Girls outnumber boys in university enrollment, and women are increasingly seen in leadership roles at work in North America. Yet, much work still needs to be done to create a unified, supportive fabric that facilitates expression of the unique needs and talents of the female gender. As our social world evolves to open more opportunities for women, its own members need guidance and vision for what a vibrant and sustainable future looks like. Women and girls can in fact be their own worst enemy, which is why Plaid for Women began its NoMeanGirls campaign, among its many other initiatives to support healthy connection among women and girls. In this episode, Co-Founder and CEO of Plaid for Women shares how and why this dynamic organization was born, the specific kinds of programming they’ve developed to support women of all ages, and its future plans to improve the lives of women across the globe.

Work. It touches so many parts of our lives – our ability to achieve important goals, whether the impact we hope to have on others is registered, our ability to enjoy the lifestyle we want, and even how we interact with our partner and children. As we near the end of 2015, I can’t help but muse a bit on three key trends I see that affect how people experience their work and what they might mean to their fulfillment, engagement, and productivity. In this episode, we discuss entrepreneurship, the shift toward more androgynous work and domestic roles, and the “soft areas” of leadership, development, and engagement from the vantage point of self-actualization and human capital optimization.

What childhood memories does Christmas conjure for you? Is it making cookies with Grandma, singing Christmas carols with neighbors, or fighting with your sibling over who gets to open the first present? Just a few days before Christmas, let’s celebrate some of the magic of the season together. We’ll revisit childhood memories, embrace family Christmas traditions, and of course listen in as children’s book author Brandi Dougherty reads from some of her most celebrated works. Brandi will also share how and why she became a children’s book author and what she hopes her books will inspire in her readers. Along the way, both of us share fond memories from the holidays and our connection to family. Intended to be holiday- and family-affirming, this episode has something for everyone and will inspire you to reminisce about your own favorite holiday stories.

A chance encounter. A room full of interesting people. A serendipitously assigned dinner seat. All culminated at the Dallas Opera opening night in October to allow my meeting with Edo Popken. Immediately noticing his distinguished looks and outstanding stylish dress, and realizing he was a sponsor to the event, I was intrigued and so inquired about his line of work. I soon learned he was the proud descendant of four generations of clothiers but had his own story to tell, one I was eager to hear. In this interview, we hear Edo Popken describe his early yearning to design automobiles only to harken back to clothing, why he so fervently believes in the work he does designing upscale men’s clothing, how he positions international travel to stimulate his creativity, and what he hopes to lend to the clothing industry in his own entrepreneurial quest. Edo Popken is approachably real while living a zestful life, purposeful yet playful, and completely driven by his own values as a businessman.

Are you one of the many people who would like to pursue another line of work but feel you’ve either invested too much time in your current role, or are maybe just too old to change course? Well, think again. In this inspiring conversation, Malka Drucker shares why she diverted her career from full-time and prolific author to rabbi at age 53 and explains why you too might consider pursuing your own career dreams that come later in life. She also discusses her pioneering work teaching Ageing to Sageing and the profound richness and societal impact this latter stage in life can have for everyone of all ages. Join us for an all-faith embracing celebration of life and work – and consider the possibilities that may be lying dormant and waiting to be activated for your own future.

Jim Rohn once said: Don't let your learning lead to knowledge - let your learning lead to action. Entrepreneurs are sponges when it comes to learning, but the ones who succeed are the ones who take intentional action on their learnings and embrace the discomfort of accountability. And they are humble enough to know that they needn't and shouldn't go it alone. In this episode, learn how to fast-track your business success by engaging in a structured approach to mentorship, accountability, progress tracking and success – or MAPS, and find the booster shot you and your business need by engaging in growth accelerators such as CEO Space. We chat with a long-time entrepreneur and co-founder of a platform designed to put the afterburners on your rocket ship. What a wonderful way to work -- by helping others realize their dreams, this entrepreneur has found her own true calling.

Knowing who we are as a person and being able to express ourselves in life and at work is a profoundly important part of the human experience. But what if something seemingly as given as your gender at birth does not fit who you know yourself to be? There are approximately 700,000 transgender people living in the United States today, so the experience is more common than we may imagine. In this episode, we’ll meet Dr. Jillian Weiss who knew at a very young age she was meant to be a woman, made the transition from male to female years ago, and today enjoys a very satisfying and productive life as a professor and a lawyer representing the transgender community. She will describe the gender transition process and the important planning and resources that best accompany it, explain what employers can do to support their transgender employees, and talk about her own experience of transitioning and career choice. An important discussion for changing times.

What motivates people to give their very best each day at work? What best practices guide human capital to ensure employees are empowered, motivated, and growing? And what can we learn about how to lead and manage an organization’s talent by listening in our interviews with well-recognized CEOs across the United States? These topics and others, shared in a completely digestible, down to earth manner, comprise the pearls shared in this episode by an entrepreneurial CEO successful with his own company who also hosts his own radio show on talent. Listen in and join the dialogue.