Does your business have a plan for managing change? How can executives quiet the voices of imposter syndrome? Are DEI initiatives 'working' for organizations and their stakeholders? To help answer these questions, we have Amber Ontiveros joining us today. Amber is the president and founder of Ontiveros & Associates - equity and change management consultants. She is an author, mentor, and ally; transforming executives beyond imposter syndrome into confident leaders. In this episode, Amber...

Want to know more about youth workforce development? How do we build alternative pathways to workplace success for the youth in our communities? How are organizations like Junior Achievement and the Boys & Girls Club in your region poised to help solve our workforce development challenges? To help answer these questions, we have a special panel discussion to focus on workforce development and work readiness with a focus on girls and women in the world of work. To explore this topic, we’ve...

How can we make the prospect of a mid-career change less daunting? How can we improve educational pathways into careers in finance and investing for traditionally underserved populations? How can we build financial literacy in high school and college students? Today's episode is the second of three from The Balancing Act Podcast - LIVE!! recording session where we focused on women in business in my hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin. My second guest from the Balancing Act Podcast - LIVE!! is...

We had so much fun recording the show LIVE! in early May. Today's episode is the first of three from that live event where we focus on women in business in my hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin. My first guest from the Balancing Act Podcast - LIVE! is Betty Christiansen. Betty is the publisher of Coulee Region Women Magazine and I ask her about the balancing acts that magazine publishers engage in each day and how we can use traditional media to support the journies of women in our communities....

How can we help women in technology roles succeed? How can we get more girls and women interested in careers in technology? How can the skill of bravery be developed to help reduce stress, burnout, and ensure pay equity for women in tech? Today, we have Nicole Trick Steinbach joining us. Nicole is the "International Bravery Coach” and helps women in tech “Build Your Brave Career.” As you might expect, today, we’re going to focus on the value of coaching in the workplace with a particular...

If you're a business founder or entrepreneur, where do you go for help? How do you identify a coach? How do you identify trusted potential funding partners? Today, we have Fred Cary joining us. Fred is the CEO of IdeaPros, an entrepreneurship educator and incubator, so we’ll be focusing today’s discussion on coaching and mentoring for founders and start-ups. Tune into episode 139 to hear Fred's story, his "rocket booster" moment, and his thoughts on the world of entrepreneurship and business...

Do you have a personal board of advisors? How about a career map? Today on the Balancing Act Podcast, we have Pete Schramm joining us. Pete is the founder and CEO of Lattitude, a human connection platform designed to amplify new employee retention and mid level manager development. The company exists to help increase intentional internal engagement and strengthen workplace culture to improve employee belonging. Pete is also the author of Pathfinders: Navigating your Career Map with a Personal...

Our worst critics live inside our own minds. They constantly berate us and limit our personal and professional growth. This week we continue our exploration of the value of coaching and mentoring with Coach Mike Basevic. Coach Mike is the founder of No Limits Nation, a coaching consultancy that delivers two key programs -- The Anxiety Free Executive, and The Anxiety Free Student. Tune into episode 137 to hear Coach Mike's story, his "rocket booster" moment, and his thoughts on how to quiet...

Twisting in the breeze? Lack direction? Feeling unfocused? Today's episode marks the beginning of a miniseries on the value of coaching and mentoring in the workplace. To kick things off, we have Davidson Hang joining us. Davidson is an executive life coach and has led Kaizen Coaching since 2017. Tune into episode 136 to hear Davidson's inspirational story, his "rocket booster" moment, and his thoughts on the intersection between personal and professional coaching.

What if there was a software solution that allowed you to align individual, team, and company goals; measure productive capacity; identify and hone individual "superpowers;" and aid in the delivery of constructive feedback? Today, we have Projjal Ghatak joining us. Projjal is the CEO and co-founder of future of work technology provider Onloop. This episode explores Onloop’s Collaborative Team Development framework and the Onloop claim that you’ll “never write another performance review.” Tune...

I've got a very special treat for you today. In this episode, I sit down face to face with Dave Rogers. Dave is a fellow musician and is CEO of the world-famous Dave’s Guitar Shop that's based right here in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Today we’ll be focused on entrepreneurship, Dave’s journey, and may take a peek or two into some of his encounters with some of the most well known musicians on the planet. Tune into episode 134 to hear Dave's story, his humble beginnings, his rocket-booster moment,...

Today I'd like to introduce you to Alli Berry. Alli is a respected thought leader in the areas of content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) and has led omnichannel marketing initiatives at companies like The Motley Fool, The Arena Group, and Kaplan. Alli and I chat about the benefits and challenges of content marketing and peek behind the curtain into the world of SEO -- what it is, what it isn't, and how to cut through the noise. Alli also provides great advice to individuals...

Continuing with last week's episode on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) education, I'd like to introduce you to Elijah Kempton. Elijah is VP - West Region at engineering firm Campos EPC and is the board secretary at MathPath—a four week residential summer program for students showing high promise and interest in mathematics. During today's episode, we talk about the broad reaching benefits of pursuing a career in engineering, how to expand access to engineering educational...

In today's episode, I'd like to introduce you to the wonderful work of 4th Family, Inc. 4th Family empowers youth to learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through their love of sports. In the words of 4th Family co-founder John Scott, "4th Family is a non-profit organization working closely mentoring at-risk youth and one of our key focus areas is exciting kids about the opportunities in STEM by showcasing the science behind the sports they love to play. We believe that...

Casey Lankow joins me on the show today. Casey is a Sr. Leadership Development Business Partner at Amazon, is an adjunct assistant professor at Saint Mary’s University in Minneapolis, MN, and was co-founder and Chief Psychology Officer at personality assessment company A Deeper Way. This is our eighth and final episode in our miniseries on corporate culture. What a way to end the series with a deep dive into the impact of corporate psychology on culture!

In part seven of my miniseries on workplace culture, we have Teresa Vozza joining us. Teresa is the founder at Teresa Vozza Coaching and is the former CHRO at Allianz Partners in Toronto. She is a Coach Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming by the Association of Neurolinguistics Professionals and helps us think through the impact that work burnout can have on organizational culture. Tune into episode 129 to hear Teresa's story, her 'rocket-booster' moment, and her thoughts on the...

Mamie Kanfer Stewart joins me in episode six of our ongoing miniseries on corporate culture. Mamie is the founder and CEO of meeting effectiveness firm Meeteor, is co-author of Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging, and Enjoyable Meetings, and is the host of the Modern Manager Podcast. In today's conversation, we explore the impact meetings can have on corporate culture. Can meetings actually be enjoyable? Tune into episode 128 to hear Mamie's story, her 'rocket-booster' moment, and her...

In part five of my miniseries on workplace culture, I'm pleased to introduce you to Jack Skeels. Jack is CEO and founder at AgencyAgile, Inc. and author of Unmanaged: Master the Magic of Creating Empowered and Happy Organizations. During our conversation, we tap into Jack's expertise in the world of project management and how to turn project management into one of your organization's superpowers. Tune into episode 127 to hear Jack's story, his 'rocket-booster' moment, and his thoughts on the...

In part four of my miniseries on workplace culture, I sit down with Sarah Fecht. Sarah is founder of Best Self Leadership and is a sought-after leadership coach, keynote speaker, trainer, and leadership consultant. Tune into episode 126 to hear Sarah's story, her 'rocket-booster' moment, and her thoughts on improving your organization's culture.

In part three of my miniseries on workplace culture, I sit down with my friend and former colleague, Rob Van Craenenbroeck. Rob is co-founder of Culture@Work, a leading organizational culture consulting business based right here in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Rob is also the author of The Culture Factor. This is a special episode as Rob and I had the opportunity to sit in my office face-to-face for this conversation! Tune into episode 125 to hear Rob's story, his 'rocket-booster' moment, and his...

This episode is part two in my miniseries dedicated to workplace culture -- what it is, why it matters, and how you can move the needle on your organization's culture. This week, Chellie Phillips joins me to expand our thinking on the subject. Chellie is VP of Communications and PR at Coweta-Fayette EMC and is the author of several award-winning books. Her most recent work is Culture Secrets: Any Leader Can Use to Build a V.A.L.U.E. Culture. Tune into episode 124 to hear Chellie's story, her...

What is organizational culture? Why is culture so important to your business? How do business performance and workplace culture intersect? How can you make meaningful changes to your corporate culture? These are just a few of the questions I'll be exploring with my guests over the next few weeks in my workplace culture miniseries. My first guest is Eric Stone. Eric is founder and CEO of Clear Path Ventures, author of Jumpstart your Workplace Culture: A Roadmap for Igniting High Performance,...

Happy New Year! In the first episode of 2024, I'd like to introduce you to John Danaher. John is an advisor to several medical businesses, is the former president of medical and veterinary education at Adtalem Global Education, was president of Education and Global Clinical Solutions at Elsevier, and worked with me at Kaplan and served as president of the Schools of Health Sciences and Nursing at Kaplan University - now Purdue Global. The focus of our conversation is on the topic of medical...

Are you living a purposeful life? In this special New Year 2024 episode, I walk listeners through my Personal Planning Guidebook. Instead of making New Year resolutions that have a low probability of becoming reality, invest in yourself through the development of your own personal plan. Why are you here? What's your vision for the future? What are the steps necessary to make significant progress toward your desired future state? Learn more in today's episode and download your FREE copy of my...

This is the third and final installment from The Balancing Act Podcast - LIVE, which was recorded on November 15, 2023, at The Main in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin. My guests today are Jake Erickson, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse and BGC graduate Chad Wonderling, interim CFO of Salesloft in Atlanta, GA. The focus of our conversation is the benefits of mentorship and coaching in our homes and businesses. I encourage listeners to learn more about their local Boys &...