The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Reinhard Mabry, The Servant Leader CEO - Running a Not-For-Profit Like a Commercial Company, Why Good Leaders Build a Network, and Why Your Integrity is Your Currency

Join me in a mini-course in organizational leadership with one of the best CEOs in Kansas City, Reinhard Mabry of the not-for-profit organization Alphapointe. Please consider helping Alphapointe with your time, ideas, or donations - https://www.alphapointe.org/.
 
Bio: Reinhard Mabry has been the President & CEO of Alphapointe since2007, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Alphapointe isone of the largest employers of people who are blind in the UnitedStates, with principal operations in Kansas City and New York City.Alphapointe provides employment opportunities for people who areblind through light manufacturing, injection molding, retail, and callcenter services for federal, state, and commercial customers.Alphapointe is the only Comprehensive Rehabilitation and EducationCenter for people who are blind or visually impaired in the state ofMissouri, serving over 7,000 people annually in its various programs.Reinhard is a past president of the Board of Directors of The NationalAssociation for the Employment of People Who Are Blind. He has served on the Board ofDirectors of the National Industries for the Blind. Reinhard currently serves on the KansasAdvisory Committee for the Blind & Visually Impaired, and the Board of Directors of theVisionServe Alliance.
Reinhard began his career in the field in 1994 when he joined RESPECT of Florida, Florida’s state use program, where he was soon appointed as the Director by the Governor’s Commission for Purchase from the Blind and other Severely Handicapped. During his tenure at RESPECT, the program’s sales doubled. Under contract, Reinhard also held the position of Director of Georgia Enterprises, Georgia’s state use program, during a transitional period for that program, growing its sales and employment for people with disabilities. He was a Vice President for the Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, responsible for Marketing, Business Development, and Base Supply Stores for the agency before joining Alphapointe in 2006.
Reinhard received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science and his MBA from Florida State University. He is married and hastwo sons.

Yoav Snir, The Global Tech Executive - How To Create Great Strategic Partnerships, Honoring Cultural Diversity, and Changing Jobs When You Have Learned Enough

You will enjoy this conversation with Yoav Snir as we discuss his outstanding tech career that began in his homeland of Israel for one of the biggest telecom tech companies (30,000+ employees) and why he left to go to an 18-person startup to satisfy his entrepreneurial passion.
 
With 24 years of Startups and Fortune 500 international leadership in technologysales, product engineering, global strategy, partnerships, channels, and alliances, Yoav Snir (linkedin.com/in/yoavsnir) has been crafting dynamic solutions and delivering multimillion-dollar results at every turn. He has built and led teams of up to 400 people with $100M P&L and early-stage startup teams. He is an entrepreneur, works with startups as a mentor (with TechStars and Pipeline Entrepreneurs), started a nonprofit, and even within the big corporation, he ran “start-up-like” initiatives. In his last role as the chief partnership officer for a Fintech startup (Novel Capital), he created a partner ecosystem from the ground up. He rolled out a nationwide channel partners program, generating 19% of new customer deals within a year. Before that, he ran global partnerships for a $4B multinational product and services company (Amdocs) where he oversaw 100 partners, generating $30M. Yoav is a creative partnerships and alliances guru known to drive revenue growth through partnerships by building relationships and using cross-functional leadership.
On the personal side - Yoav moved to the US from Israel in 2008 with his family.He served in the Israeli Defense Forces and is also an aspiring musician.
 

Terri Jordan, The Constantly Evolving Entrepreneur - Her Bill Belichick Career Strategy, How She Constantly Overcame Adversity and Being Driven By Helping Others

You will truly enjoy this conversation with Terri Jordan where we talk about her fear of picking the wrong career, not being afraid of taking the lowest level job to learn about a new industry, her bout with cancer and other illnesses, her superpower of observation, and much more...
As an entrepreneur, Terri Jordan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrijordankc/ ) has successfully started/scaled six companies and brings over 25 years of strategy, sales, technology, and marketing leadership including extensive experience in legal, medical, tech, e-commerce, retail, restaurant, B2B, and B2C. Terri’s passion is growth strategy - helping her clients uncover and realize their next phase of growth through WizeWebz (Founder and CEO) and High Performance Marketing Boot Camps (President and Partner). She serves on the Mentor Advisory Board at UMKC, and the Marketing Advisory Board at JCCC. Terri finds fulfillment in working with aspiring entrepreneurs.

Tammie Osborne, Nurse to Entrepreneur - Being the CEO of You, Never Having a ”No” Leader, and Pivoting As A Career Strategy

Please join me and Tammie Osborne (linkedin.com/in/tammieosborne) as we have a great conversation talking about how an ER nurse changed her life, being a female healthcare tech pioneer, pivoting from nursing to Corporate America, the importance of relationships, and starting two companies (one during the pandemic in an industry she had no experience).
 
Tammie L. Osborne is an established healthcare executive and experienced small business owner with a passion for equipping others to succeed. Tammie has 30 years of experience in healthcare as an enterprise technology executive leader, EHR/EMR consultant, and clinician. In 2012, noticing a need for additional support for healthcare organizations as they implement and adopt new technology, Tammie founded Bridgemore IT (bridgemoreit.com ), a healthcare IT consulting, whereshe continues to lead as CEO. Through her healthcare consulting firm, Bridgemore IT Consulting, Tammie has managed change and new technology adoption for multi-million and billion-dollar projects by leading the world’s most top-tier organizations. Bridgemore IT also supports the Department of Defense’s EHR modernization Project. She has been helping these organizations streamline their operations and improve patient outcomes for over 12 years.
In 2020, while experiencing the challenge and changes of professional isolation brought on by the worldwide pandemic, Tammie saw an opportunity to support other female entrepreneurs in her community and tapped into her expertise by providing a coworking and event space. In response, she founded The Sapphire Suite( thesapphiresuite.com ), a luxe coworking environment where women can focus, grow, and connect in their busy professional and personal lives. With her extensive  leadership experience, her career-long focus on innovation, and her commitment tocollaboration, Tammie was uniquely equipped to build a space that not only helps women be productive but also provides the support and a community of seasoned professionals to help them succeed.
She is a wife and mother of three adult children, one of whom has special needs and she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.

Special Edition with William Godwin - What A Business Transformation Can Do For Your Company

This special edition episode features William Godwin (see bio below) as we discuss business transformation initiatives. William lends his expertise to what is most critical, what companies struggle with, what employees find most challenging, and how leaders can help ensure a successful transformation. Please enjoy my conversation with WIlliam!
 
​William Godwin ​(linkedin.com/in/william-godwin ) is an executive Leader with 20+ years of experience with iconic brands, small, mid-size, and large companies. His ability to leverage insights in novel ways based on a keen understanding of sound business
principles consistently leads to transforming businesses and unmatched operational excellence. His background includes everything from sales, training, and service, to internal and field operations. He is known for leading businesstransformation initiatives that optimize companies which leads to driving sustainable revenue and profits. William is a big fan and student of continuous learning and is passionate about leading, motivating, and inspiring people to be their personal best so that the company can be its best. One of his mottos is “Let’s stretch to be better tomorrow than we are today.” He embraces challenges, solves problems, and has a reputation for succeeding where others could not and being counted on to do the impossible.

Jonathan Jones, The Cultural Conversational Leader - Helping People Find Purpose And Meaning In Their Work, Why Company Culture Is Like Your A Lawn, and Givers Versus Takers

Join me with the great Jonathan Jones as we talk about how he pivoted from 12 years working for churches to a successful career in corporate America. You will love the insights from him on building a great company culture!
Jonathan Jones (linkedin.com/in/jonathanjoneskc ) joined DEMDACO (demdaco.com  ) in the fall of 2006 to give leadership to the company’s focus and intentionality about its culture. Since that time Jonathan has helped develop and lead conversations around DEMDACO’s Purpose: pursuing business the way it ought to be, and its Mission: to lift the spirit in measurable and tangible ways. He helps the company tell its stories both inside and outside the company.DEMDACO, located in Leawood, KS, specializes in artist-driven gift and home décor products that lift the spirit and help people connect in meaningful ways.As a certified Gallup CliftonStrengths coach, Jonathan loves helping others discover their Strengths and find ways to leverage them to achieve their goals.
Jonathan and his wife Maria live in the Kansas area. They have four children and five grandchildren. 
 

Jane Deterding, From Lawyer to Chairperson of the Board - What She Learned Working for Senator Bob Dole, Why Banks Are Being Challenged, and Her Circuitous Career Journey

Join my conversation with Jane Deterding as we talk about her experience working for the legendary Bob Dole, becoming a lawyer, and her pivot to running her 101-year-old family bank!
Jane Deterding is a fourth-generation banker at Citizen Bank of Kansas (CBK), Jane’s ties to banking started at an early age. She currently serves as Chairman of the Board, with other roles including General Counsel and Chief Strategic Marketing Officer. She is a graduate of Wichita State University, where she earned a BBA in finance and economics, and the University of Kansas School of Law.
Jane joined CBK full-time in 2001 after a decade in private law practice. Jane serves as a Commissioner on the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission and is involved with the Wichita Animal Action League, Wichita Chamber of Commerce, and Wichita Area Delta Gamma Alumnae, among other interests. Jane and her husband, Brent Lehner, have two adult children and live in western Sedgwick County with their four rescue dogs.

Kristen Ragusin, A Beautiful Soul About to Change The World - How She Predicted The 2008 Global Financial Crisis and Why Our Money System Makes Us Miserable

You will love my conversation with Kristen Ragusin (www.kristenragusin.com/ )! Her book "The End of Scarcity: The Dawn of The New Abundant World" (Amazon: https://a.co/d/0nyU1cX) will be one of the most important books you will ever read. She has such great energy and is on a mission to change our world by implementing a new system of exchange to create and sustain a life worth living.
About Kristen:
Kristen’s interest in money began as a child as she studied the stock and bond markets with her father to earn her allowance. She grew up seeing the markets as a tool of empowerment but all that changed when she saw the coming financial crisis of 2008. Sensing something was amiss in her worldview, she discovered everything she knew about money was wrong. Through a shocking revelation, she learned that what we use as money today works against us, creating perpetual suffering and scarcity.
This sent her on a seven-year journey around the world to find another way to create money. She uncovered a new way so simple and so beautiful, a new way already beginning to emerge. Preparing to unleash the natural abundance that exists, we stand on the precipice of the coming revolution of how we do money. Unstoppable, it comes closer every day. Reading her book will take you from grief, fear, and scarcity to hope, love, and abundance.
Kristen is a professional wealth management consultant with thirty years of experience. Investing over $150 million, she helps clients navigate markets and achieve financial goals. She is a certified digital currency professional and earned her Masters Degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Kristen holds certificates in FinTech from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in Money and Society from the University of Cumbria, London. She loves the adventure of Life and everything it brings from the many kinds of people to the wonders of Nature. She has traveled throughout the world. Her many journeys include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, hiking through the Sahara desert and studying at a spiritual school located in the foothills of Southern India.
https://www.theendofscarcity.com/contact

Aaron Fulk, The Transparent CEO - How She Became a LinkedIn Pioneer, Overcoming Hardships, and How to Network With Intention

Aaron Fulk (www.aaronfulk.com) is the CEO and founder of Lillian James Creative (https://lillianjamescreative.com/). You are going to enjoy this conversation with Aaron in this wide-open chat about her unconventional upbringing and career journey.  Here is the bio Aaron gave me to use for the episode:
In 2016, as a single mom without a college degree, Aaron (spelled like a boy) founded Lillian James Creative in her garage. She leaned on her marketing and sales experience, tapped into her personal and professional networks, and utilized her intuition and ambition to overcome obstacles, conquer challenges, and achieve company goals.
You will so enjoy listening to Aaron's unfiltered and unapologetic view of her life!

Baron Lukas, A Born Leader - Being a Lifelong Learner, How to Cultivate Leadership Excellence, and the Essence of Great Culture Building.

Please enjoy this mini-course on leadership with Baron Lukas!
 
Baron Lukas is an executive leader, advisor, coach, and retired Marine Corps Colonel. He has 42 years of leadership, management, and mentoring experience. His professional career spans a diverse spectrum of positions: fighter pilot, instructor, strategist, intelligence officer, professor, commander, and finally, business executive, entrepreneur, board member, and advisor.
Baron is a Principal at ExecHQ, a consulting firm comprised of over 100 senior executives in North America and globally with extensive C-Suite (e.g., CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, etc.) experience. ExecHQ delivers on-demand, cost-effective solutions for complex business problems faced by CEOs and business owners. Baron’s advisory services include pre-transaction valuation improvement, strategy development and execution, executive coaching, corporate governance, and succession planning. Baron heads “ExecHQ MULTIPLE,” an advisory program specifically intended to prepare businesses for an M&A transaction or capital raise, and ExecHQ’s Executive Coaching and Corporate Governance practices.
Baron’s long history of business and military leadership positions gives him a unique perspective that blends the best practices of both worlds. A native of Germany, Baron is bilingual (English and German) and holds two master’s degrees. Baron and his wife, Tanya, an award-winning author, live on a small ranch just west of Fort Worth, Texas.

Maki Moussavi: Navigating the Spiritual Journey of Success - Dealing With Toxic Work Relationships, Helping High Achievers Overcome Self-Doubt, and Embracing Your Unique Path to Success

Enjoy my conversation with the magnificent Maki Moussavi as we get into some deep topics about work and fulfillment. Her book is fantastic!
 
Maki Moussavi (www.makimoussavi.com) is a mindset and executive coach, as well as the author of The High Achiever’s Guide (Amazon). She helps high achievers catalyze empowering change through deep examination of their conditioning to identify limiting patterns that keep them from reaching their full potential. Maki helps high achievers create positive disruption in their lives by de-complicating the process of making change. Like her clients, she identifies as a type A high achiever and spent 13 years in corporate America. Combined with her training in genetic counseling, her background provides the unique skills and experience to guide clients through the emotionally complex process of self-examination, deconditioning from standard paradigms of success, and uncovering a personally aligned approach that is holistically fulfilling.  

Special Edition - What 10 Exceptional Executives Focus On To Build A Great Corporate Culture

Welcome to the first special edition of the Corporate Couch Podcast! These episodes will be more of a loveseat and will range from 15 to 30 minutes in duration. In each special edition episode, I will ask one or more exceptional executives how they deal with the challenges that face corporate America today. This first special edition episode is about a topic near and dear to my heart, corporate culture, and you will hear from 10 exceptional executives on what they focus on to build outstanding cultures. You will hear from the following impressive group of leaders:
 
- Harry Campbell (linkedin.com/in/harryscampbell )
- Mike Allison (linkedin.com/in/mike-allison-connect )
- Jonathan Jones (linkedin.com/in/jonathanjoneskc )
- Pamela Norton (linkedin.com/in/pamelaannnorton )
- Sherri Gilligan (linkedin.com/in/sherri-w-gilligan-95845097 )
- Steve McClain (linkedin.com/in/steve-mcclain-981b648 )
- Brad Douglas (linkedin.com/in/braddouglas1 )
- Jy Maze (linkedin.com/in/jy-maze-0a23a8156 )
- Franny Goolsby (linkedin.com/in/frannygoolsbysalesleader )
- Mark Mears (linkedin.com/in/markamears ).
 
Please enjoy this inaugural special edition episode!

Mary Messner - Empowering Women in the Workplace - Overcoming Self-Doubt, Championing Authenticity, and Inspiring Leadership for Today and Tomorrow

Mary Messner  (www.marymessner.com) is a professional speaker, an advocate for women and girls, a mother, and a wife (not necessarily in that order). She has dedicated her career to approaching challenges with creativity, refusing to accept the status quo, and leading with a determination to grow others.Mary partners with organizations to provide inspiration, offer knowledge, and identify solutions. She is committed to creating a workplace culture where women are recognized and celebrated for their authentic and powerful abilities. Her speaking engagements and workshops provide tangible strategies that demonstrate how to empower women in the workplace. While off the stage, Mary spends her time as the Executive Director for Madam President Camp, a non-profit youth organization designed to inspire girls to use their voice to become leaders in their communities now and in the future. Mary brings her corporate, non-profit, and small business experience to each interaction with the goal of creating meaningful connections with her clients and audience.
 
You will enjoy my conversation with Mary!

Jy Maze, Transportation Trailblazer - Leading with Integrity, Diversity As Your ”Why”, and Entrepreneurship Lessons from Toddlers

Jy Maze is the President of award-winning Maze Freight Solutions (https://mazefreightsolutions.com/). She has been in transportation and supply chain management for over 12 years. Her sales success with large and small companies, along with the lack of diversity in the industry led to the founding of Maze Freight Solutions in 2017. The company, which emphasizes integrity, quality, and superior customer service, has experienced phenomenal growth since its inception.
Jy is a wife and mother of two, Author of Finding Your Toddler Ambition (https://a.co/d/0ysShIM), Motivational Speaker, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist/Trustee of the Maze Foundation, Mentor, and a 2023 KC Biz Journal, Women Who Mean Business honoree.
You will love Jy's energy and the conversation. Please enjoy!

Kristin Herman, The Wholehearted Wealth Advisor - Living By Design, Having Courageous Vulnerability, and Money as a Measure of Desire

Kristin Herman (LinkedIn Profile ) is a wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual. Her wealth management philosophy:
In the world of wealth management, there is a lingering misconception about what financial advisors are and do. Many feel that financial advisors are only out to collect a fee or to transact a result. They believe that transparency is the last thought of the financial advisor, and as a result, strategy and education go by the wayside.
The people who work with Kristin don't want to make a transaction. They want someone to understand and counsel them at a deep level by clarifying and aligning their intentions and actions so that they can know what is meaningful in their lives will also be measurable. This helps them pursue ‘Wholehearted Wealth’ through ‘Living by Design’ and achieve financial freedom, confidence, and peace of mind.
Kristin and her team work with amazing individuals nationwide who want to create a legacy of wealth that matches their passions and joy—and they do it by creating clarity, confidence, and security. In their journey with her team, their courageous vulnerability helps them pursue ease in their financial paths, becoming empowered and equipped to pursue their own wholehearted lives. As they create meaningful change in their finances, they experience a peace they never knew was possible.
When you feel empowered, wholehearted, and cared for, the world is your oyster. 
 
Please enjoy my conversation with Kristin!

Mike Allison, The Culture Champion - Having a No Asshole Policy, The Impact of the Pandemic on Corporate Cultures, and Leading with Emotional Intelligence

Please enjoy my conversation with Mike Allison as we discuss how to build a great corporate culture, leading with emotional intelligence, the pandemic's impact on leadership, and his one interview question.
Mike Allison (linkedin.com/in/mike-allison-connect )is the Vice President of Talent and Culture at Spotlight where his focus is on talent acquisition, employee growth/engagement, and leadership development. Spotlight was recently named one of Kansas City’s best places to work for in both Ingram’s magazine and theKansas City Business Journal. Mike is also an Adjunct Professor andBloch Executive Education instructor within the Bloch School at theUniversity of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC). Prior to his role at Spotlight, Mike enjoyed over 22 years of healthcare IT leadership experience working at Cerner. His final role there involved leading a group of faculty who developed and deliveredadvanced education to cohorts of Veterans Administration (VA)clinicians, informaticists, and analytics professionals. He also workedwith internal and external leaders on change management and otherorganizational development initiatives. Previously, Mike held executiveresponsibilities within Cerner’s client and associate learningorganizations. His award-winning teams, many of which wereinternationally based, provided practical and effective end-to-end learning solutions to Cerner clients and associates around the world. Mike also spent a year as the Vice President of Learning and Development at AMC Theatres where heled a team of learning professionals focused on building, supporting, and retaining talent across multiple guest-facing brands.
Mike regularly carries out public speaking engagements and provides coaching to business leaders across the Kansas City metropolitan area. He presents and instructs on diverse topics such as leading through change, emotional intelligence, holding difficult conversations, building a culture of feedback, advanced presentation techniques, cultivating trust, and executive presence. Prior to working in the private sector, Mike was involved in city management for three years. He worked primarily as a management analyst for the city of Kansas City, Mo. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Brigham YoungUniversity.
Mike is married to Amy Allison, a non-profit leader serving as the Executive Director for The Farmer’s House. They have three young adult children (girl, boy, girl). Besides being an avid family man, Mike is passionate about volunteering, seeing the world, hiking, music, disc golf, and all things San Francisco. He was born and raised in the “City by the Bay.”

Joel Goldberg: Living His Childhood Dream - From Sports Broadcasting to Business Success, Culture Building, and Championship Insights

Joel Goldberg (https://joelgoldbergmedia.com/meet-joel/ ) is an Emmy Award Winning Broadcaster. Keynote Speaker. Published Author. Joel began dreaming of a career as a sportscaster at a young age, always wanting to deliver news of the previous night’s game to his grade school teachers. He’s spent over a quarter century on television, relying on relationship-building to tell athletes’ stories. Joel’s unique access enables him to share lessons learned from the baseball field to the board room as a motivational speaker and to homes everywhere through his business podcast.

Haley Prophet, Being a Chief Wellness Officer - Well-Being vs. Wellness, Introducing Meditation to Your Employees, and Having a Human-Centered Approach to the Workplace

With nearly 20 years of experience in corporate well-being, Haley Prophet (linkedin.com/in/haleyprophet ) brings a multi-dimensional approach and authentic presence to her strategies for fostering an atmosphere where individuals, organizations, and community relationships can thrive. She creatively evaluates and implements well-rounded, multi-dimensional whole-person well-being opportunities through intentional planning and alignment with company and program goals and values. Haley emphasizes the notion that energy management has to begin with how individuals care for and prioritize their well-being which leads to happier, healthier, and more productive workplaces and communities. She is also in her college Hall of Fame and has been voted as a 100 Top Wellness Professional in 2014 and 50 Top Wellness Professionals in 2016.
 
Please enjoy my conversation with Haley a true pioneer in corporate well-being!

Doug Morse, The CEO with the Heart of a Teacher - What is the Value of An Employee, Rural Healthcare Zealot, and How 1+1 =3

Doug Morse knows small hospitals and clinics are the healthcare and economic engines driving rural life. 30+ years of leadership as critical access hospital CEO, healthcare system executive, and entrepreneurship instructor. His first CEO position was in a small rural hospital system in Iowa. In his role as an educator teaching budding entrepreneurs, he was named "Teacher of the Year" twice. Doug is an accomplished author, speaker, and consultant who thrives on adding value to everyone he meets. Today he helps rural hospital C-Suites and Boards achieve exceptional scorecards and strong community support.
You will enjoy my conversation with Doug, a true servant leader!
 

Resilience Redefined with Jennifer Rome: Overcoming Crisis, Rebuilding Dreams, and Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Jennifer Rome describes herself as on a mission to make a positive impact on all she crosses paths with.  She serves as a mortgage advisor for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation and is the co-founder and president of a local non-profit called The Giving Professional KC.  She is a mother to two incredible young men and is proud to be a Kansas City native.  
In 2019 and 2020, her world was turned upside-down and she had to quickly make choices on how she would rebuild.  She was finalizing an extremely tumultuous divorce, when she would encounter a life-threatening health crisis and then lost her job due Covid, just before closing on the purchase of her new home.  Essentially, she and her boys were displaced from everything they knew with limited ability to rebuild.  
But Jennifer is not one to succumb to crisis and knew her mindset and the small choices she made each day would lead her and her boys to a new life. 
And she is not stopping there.  Instead, she is using her experiences to connect with others and to give back to those whose hardships are great.  
Her goal is to be a voice of inspiration for anyone who needs the courage of another to overcome their heartache and their hardship.  
Upcoming projects include a podcast and a book.  Although neither yet has a release date, she is one to watch.  She is particularly interested in human stories and the power that sharing offers us on our journey to live profound lives,  
And in her words, “At the end of my life, I intend to look back and say "Yes, I lived! And, yes, I made a difference for the people in my life! And if I am lucky, I will leave a legacy!".
 
Our conversation will make you laugh and cry but you will leave inspired by hearing Jennifer's story. Please enjoy!