#519: Amy L. Riley is an internationally renowned speaker, author and leadership development consultant. She’s worked with organizations such as Deloitte, Cisco Systems and Aon Hewitt and has over 20 years of experience working with leaders at all levels. Amy earned a Masters of Science in Training and Development (MSTD), with an emphasis in Organization Development (OD), from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. She is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), a certified Tiara...

#518:  I dove headfirst into finance for one reason. Money. As a 20 year old I simply neglected who I was, and looked to go to the place I could make a lot of money. How ignorant. I ignored my real talents. Despite natural skills in writing, speaking, and presenting, I chose the expected path. Here’s the truth: Our system, from college to career, often buries our genuine strengths under a pile of “shoulds.” It took me too long to listen, to unearth those dormant skills, and truly...

#517: Welcome, everyone, to another episode of The Break podcast, where we delve into the depths of resilience, flexibility, and overcoming life's obstacles. I'm your host, Mike, and today's conversation promises to be nothing short of enlightening. Today, we're exploring a topic that resonates with each and every one of us - setbacks. Life's unexpected twists and turns can knock us off course, but it's how we respond to these challenges that defines our journey forward. You know, we often...

#516:  In chasing “success” we forget what it is to just be human. I feel like my struggles have been about getting back to just being a person. I don’t want to just succeed at some line of work that no one will remember. I don’t want to just save for retirement that might not ever come. I don’t want to be one dimensional. I want to be a Full Stack Human. What does that mean?

#515:  Heyooo, So The World Economic Forum recently released their top 10 "skills for the future of work." Guess what made the list: flexibility, adaptability and resilience. Why are those so important to the WEF? Because the WEF knows that the future is changing rapidly, and companies need employees who can thrive in a rapidly changing environment. The job market and the world at large are changing quickly, and what served you yesterday likely won't serve you in the future - especially...

#514:  You can do anything, but you can’t do everything. You must choose your path with the best odds. Look there's 2 places people start when creating options: "I have no options. I can't imagine what else I could do." "I can do anything! How do I choose?" It's work to realize that neither starting point is reality, but once you do you begin to see that the path to creating options starts with thinking about our odds.

#513: Welcome back to another episode of The Break podcast, the space where we unpack the remarkable stories of individuals who've faced life's challenges head-on. I'm your host, Mike, and today's conversation is one that you don't want to miss. Our guest today is Danielle Cobo, a powerhouse in resilience, courage, and unwavering determination. Before we dive into the heart of her story, a little sneak peek caught my attention recently – Danielle's truck. It's not just a vehicle; it's a...

#512:  I got fired in the middle of a meeting. Well, I was told the next day, but it happened in that meeting. I knew it. What a terrible feeling. I was up all night, walking the streets of Seattle in the dark by myself. My mind racing between panic and planner modes. I need a job Can I even get a job? Why did this happen? Who do I reach out to? How much runway do I have? What do I tell my wife and kids? Fortunately, my terror was short lived and I pivoted into a FT, highly paid...

#511:  FUD = Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt. The triad that keeps us from betting on ourselves. And keeps us on the incremental path to nowhere. I used to be a FUD. I grew up in a very fiscally conservative household. My parents are well off, but massive penny pinchers. This isn’t bad, in fact it’s noble. However, saying no to even the slightest risk of losing isn’t great for personal growth. So naturally I was extremely risk averse for the first 20 years of my life. Until I learned about...

#510:  I'm back and energized, to dive into something that's been on my mind – and probably on yours too: the messiness of Career Change. I know, just reading those words can send a flutter of anxiety through your chest, as it has for me many times - 6 to be exact. Yes I've made no less than 6 major career changes. And not the "I'm changing companies" kind. More like the "I'm changing industries, roles, skill sets, going to build a business then go back to corporate and then build a...

#509:  I thought a lot about how we can build our capacity to take action towards what WE want. That can seem scary because we fear what other people will think, and we think we are RISKING a lot. After all, if what we want is different than our peers, doesn't that make us an outsider? Weird? A loner? We've all heard the expression “no risk no reward.” But if you’re not learning to take risk, you’re missing out on much more: No risk no confidence. No risk no growth. No risk no...

#508: We're delving into the profound topic of reinvention, exploring how to pursue our passions, even when it means taking a leap of faith. In today's interview, I had the privilege of sitting down with Roger Osorio, a remarkable individual who embodies the essence of reinvention. We unravel his personal journey from a corporate job to becoming a math tutor and eventually a teacher. Roger shares his insights into the transformative power of finding fulfillment and happiness in one's work,...

#507: Our guest, Arun Gupta, brings a unique perspective to the table, one that challenges conventional notions of purpose and profit in one's career. We're about to dive into a topic that could reshape how you think about your own professional journey. But before we get into that, I want to share a thought-provoking student testimonial from Arun's website, which perfectly sets the stage for our conversation. It goes like this: "Rather than thinking about your career decisions as a series of...

#506: Ok, so 2024 is knocking at the door and I just learned a new word.  Actually 2 new words. First, my kids taught me the word "rizz" which means something about flirting or having game. Lo and behold rizz is Time Magazine's word of the year! I couldn't believe it! The second is "career pathing", as in the act of figuring out your path. I never really knew this term existed, but it makes sense. The core problem we have in "career pathing" is that individuals have much more autonomy...

#505: Henna Pryor, PCC is a highly sought-after Workplace Performance Expert and an award-winning 2x TEDx and global keynote speaker, virtual presenter, author, and professional executive coach. She’s known for her science-backed approach to improving the performance, habits, and actions of hungry high achievers – in her fun, no-nonsense, no-jargon way – to move them from their first level of success to their next one. She has been invited to speak twice for TEDx in New York City and...

#504: The only way to crush the uncertainty we feel about the next steps in our careers is to get comfortable not knowing. Which is a huge shift Paul had to make. I believe this is the single greatest skill we can learn if we want to achieve our hopes and dreams to get what we want out of life. This is why The ​UnBREAKable Community​ exists.  So I want to share our 5 core principles that we live inside the community.

#503: I am beyond excited for today's conversation. We've got a guest who's not only a fantastic individual but has an inspiring journey to share. I want you to meet Paul Dircks. Now, Paul and I go way back. We connected earlier this year when he reached out for some coaching during a pivotal moment in his life. Today, we're going to dive into his transformative journey and discuss how he navigated some tough decisions, ultimately leading to where he is now. For those of you curious about...

#502: Last week the world lost a legend. Charlie Munger passed away at the age of 99. Charlie was (and still is) deeply influential on me. If you’ve taken my course, ​Advantage Mapping Foundations​, you’ve seen and heard from Charlie. I’ve learned more about life and reality from studying this man than I did in all of my schooling, easily. In honor of his passing, here are 10 key lessons from a life well lived.

#501: Our conversation today revolves around life-changing moments and the remarkable power of personal transformation. Get ready to be inspired as we introduce our guest, Justin Brey, who has a remarkable story to share. On December 19th, 2020, Justin faced a life-altering decision. He had driven out to the mountains with a suicide note, ready to end it all. But at that pivotal moment, a text message from his brother-in-law changed the course of his life forever. We'll delve into the...

#500: Today's conversation is all about belief and purpose, two essential elements on our life's journey. But first, let me share why this topic is so important. When I first reached out to today's guest, I realized how much his journey resonated with my own experiences. Many people, like me, sometimes struggle with finding our true purpose and building belief in ourselves. The journey can be a winding road, filled with ups and downs. In today's conversation, we'll explore how to build that...

#499: I heard this from a former colleague yesterday. Let me know if this sounds familiar: "After the events of last fall, I've adopted an "always on" career search mindset. I'm doing a lot of shameless self-promotion to attract people to my brand, in case my current gig goes to crap like the last one did. Not going to get caught with my pants down again." This feeling is what I'm on a mission to banish. I believe the way we can "always be ready" is to learn the principles of...

#498: We're about to dive into the remarkable journey of a man who's no stranger to carving his own unique path in the world of technology, entrepreneurship, and creativity. But before we get started, I'd like to extend a warm 'thank you' to all our listeners for tuning in. Your support and enthusiasm mean the world to us, and it's what keeps 'The Break' going strong. Now, let's talk about our guest today. His name is Tim Noetzel, and he's not your average entrepreneur. Tim's story is a...

#497: Every single day I hear from people trapped in their current version of work-life. They WANT to make a change, but their overwhelmed by the complexity of the problem and don’t know where to start “figuring it out.” So here are the 5 layers of making a work-life transformation, that nobody explains. #1 is where 90% of people need to start.

#496: A portfolio approach to your career is all about thriving in the uncertain future. The truth is: We don’t know. We don’t know what’s going to change in the outside world. We don’t know how we are going to change in our inside world. A portfolio career is the antidote to uncertainty