Podcast Blog

Hear an incredible story of courage, kindness and resistance

Mimica Tsezana-Hyman is our guest on this podcast today. It is difficult to tell you about all that we discussed in a short paragraph. I encourage you to read the transcript and listen to the entire podcast, or watch it, which is even better. Mimica has a great story to tell which will move you deeply. The question is, how does an entire Jewish community escape the atrocities of Hitler’s 1943 occupation of Zakynthos, a small island in Greece? Because of courage, and kindness, they all survived, which is why Mimica is alive today. She will tell you about her own personal discoveries and what she is doing to keep our understanding of that horrific period alive so we don't find ourselves doing that again. It's an amazing story. I urge you to listen and be changed.

Hear how to rethink your life to find what really makes you happy

Today's guest is Julia Wolfendale, executive coach and director at On The Up Consulting. Julia is from the UK and has developed an exciting and valuable approach to helping people find happiness, success and fulfillment. Her book is entitled Five Ways to Focus and we discuss it as a starting point to help people better understand themselves. Julia has a master's in leadership and has trained and coached hundreds of leaders on understanding themselves and improving their daily lives. You are going to find our discussion itself very interesting. Do please tune in!

Hear what good leaders should really be thinking about 

Richard Medcalf describes himself as "what you get if you were to put a McKinsey consultant, a slightly unorthodox pastor and an entrepreneur into a blender.” In this podcast, you'll hear from an amazing thinker who has tackled strategic challenges in companies all over the world. In his new book, Making Time for Strategy, Richard speaks about the difficulties he has encountered working with high-powered leaders. Far too often, they find themselves focused on the wrong things---from how to respond to emails to how to get tasks completed on time. Instead, Richard preaches that a leader’s mindset should be focused on the future, where the organization is going, and how everyone in that organization needs to be aligned around a core strategy to get it there. Listen and learn!

Hear how to really hear what people are saying in meetings

Imogene Drummond is a woman whose story I love to share. She is bold and courageous about things she wants to do or learn more about. Today's topic is how her new program, ACQUITS, grew out of her interest in helping people communicate better, especially in the virtual environments so many of us find ourselves in these days. Imogene's professional life evolved from her training in psychology to her very successful career as an artist, to filmmaking, and now to working with people to develop their online communication skills. This is so timely. Do enjoy.

Hear how understanding someone's culture can improve lives

I was so excited to have the opportunity to speak with Britt Titus on our podcast. As you will learn, Britt found her calling when she discovered how behavioral sciences and humanitarian concerns could transform the world, one step at a time. The two of us are crazy about behavioral sciences, so it was such a joy to share our fascination with the difficulties people have understanding others who differ from them. Whether addressing Ebola in Liberia and West Africa or helping mothers in Mali avoid malnourishment in their children, Britt is constantly humbled by the challenges of helping people do things that seem so logical to those of us from the Global North. As she says, nothing is as simple as it might appear. And humility can often be the best way to bring about changes that can have a huge impact on health. Don't miss this one!

Learn what motivates you and others so you can collaborate better

While I have used the Enneagram personality framework with clients, I have never had as great a discussion about it as I had with Karl Hebenstreit. Karl is a certified executive coach, organization development consultant, international speaker and author of two books: The How and Why: Taking Care of Business with the Enneagram and Nina and the Really, Really Tough Decision (for younger readers). So what is the Enneagram, you may ask? More than just another personality test or behavior identification technique, this human psychology-based theory opens your mind to how you see yourself, the teams you work with, and the world at large regarding motivation and behavior. Which of the nine personality types are you? Listen to Karl to find out!

Learn how you, yes you, can become an awesome communicator!

In July of 2020 I had the pleasure of interviewing the very delightful Monique Russell, a leading executive communications coach who will share with you how to clearly communicate what you want to say in an effective way. I loved our conversation and learned so much from Monique that I had to share her wisdon with you again. Do you find yourself full of great ideas but struggle to tell others about them? Do you become self-conscious whenever you make a presentation? Monique has a great perspective on how to conquer all of these and succeed! Listen and share.

Hear how games can make your employees' effectiveness soar!

Several years ago, Andy (my husband and business partner) and I went to Brussels to train in Innovation Games. IG is a wonderful set of creative tools to help people see things in new ways by playing games. In fact, IG downloads are the most frequent downloads from our website, www.simonassociates.net. Here at SAMC, we integrate IG into many of our workshops and leadership programs. Take a look at some of our IG white papers and PowerPoints which might open up your mind to what gamification can offer you, your team members and your customers as you rethink your organization to face the challenges of these fast-changing times.

Hear how to align your workforce for maximum productivity

Back in April 2020 before we fully knew what a global disruption the pandemic was going to be, I interviewed Laurel Farrer who talked about how to build a remote workforce that works. What great timing, then and now, which is why I decided to share this podcast with you again. Businesses have moved from managing hands to managing minds, empowering their workforces so they can work anywhere, anytime, as long as they get the work done. For smart companies, this has led to new management processes to ensure employees are well-informed about their obligations. For not-so-smart companies, remote work is seen as a “perk,” with accountability not something they are keeping an eye on and then they wonder why productivity is lagging. Remote work is now commonplace, so we should all learn from Laurel's models that work! Enjoy.

Hear how change is really an opportunity for growth

I loved this interview with Diana Wu David from February 2020 so much that I want to share it with you again. Our discussion was all about what she is seeing in the business world, particularly around technology disruption which is pushing our lives in entirely new directions. You'll also hear about her own research among companies, large and small, as she works with their leadership, their boards and their staff to enable them to adapt to the fast pace of change. As you know, at SAMC we're all about change! You'll also learn how everyone is a futurist! Enjoy.

Hear how you can remove unfair obstacles to access to capital

In this terrific podcast (one of my favorites) originally broadcast in 2019, Jill Johnson and I discuss the challenges faced by women of color in starting a business, from finding the capital to underwrite growth to developing the business acumen to successfully take ideas and turn them into brilliant innovations. Getting a fledgling company off the ground is never easy, but the obstacles put in front of entrepreneurs of color, especially women, is not merely unjust but bad business. There are so many important perspectives to absorb from our conversation that I just had to share it with you again, because sadly, so many of these problems still persist today.

Hear how to build workplaces where everyone is valued 

This podcast interview is exceptional. Just listen to Maria Colacurcio tell you about her journey and think about your own. Her career has spanned many different industries, propelling her to leadership positions in innovative companies. Our conversation took us through those profound experiences and unexpected moments that can transform our lives in new ways. Others often accelerated her career, seeing her talent and advocating for her. She speaks about learning on the job and being excited when new career opportunities opened up for her. She also provides wisdom to other women and men trying to build more diverse, equitable and inclusive organizations, and how women are changing our society, a step and then a leap at a time. Enjoy.

Hear how to refuse to be held back, especially as a woman 

I listened to Kerry Flynn Barrett give a marvelous talk recently about burnout for the Westchester Business Council and couldn’t wait to share her ideas and insights with our fans. Careers like hers are common among many women I know who have started in a corporate job, moved up the ladder to higher positions in leadership, and then took off to form their own business. Kerry has done just that, and now she is building an exceptional business serving as a fractional CHRO officer and also a business partner and solutions provider. Do you wish to do this too? Listen in!

Hear how to make the most of your choices, at work and in life

Meet Christina Sistrunk, former President and CEO at Aera Energy. You are going to love listening to her wisdom for thriving in the male-dominated energy industry. As Christina will share with you, she found that the hardest problems to solve usually were the ones around how well people work together, or don't, that made the problems more complicated. She explains how figuring out how to bring people together and enable them to be as successful as they had the potential to be was the most challenging part of being a leader, especially a woman leader. A lot to learn!

Hear how to identify your values and live them every day

Today you will meet Shayna Bergman, a terrific executive leadership coach with big ideas to help you find your way during these challenging times of change. Her goal is to empower you to unlock your personal potential. Shayna specializes in helping people achieve deeper meaning and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives through authentic leadership and clarity of purpose. She believes, as do I, that you have to have a purpose-driven life. There has to be something that really motivates and drives you, a North Star. Need help finding yours? Listen in!

Hear why it's so crucial for success to build effective teams

My guest today is a remarkable individual, Mark Samuel, who's now written seven business books. I interviewed Mark back in June of 2019 and thought he had such a powerful message about how to get people to change, even when they really don't want to, that I had him back. Today's podcast is about his most recent book, Reimagine Teams: The Missing Piece in Team Building to Achieve Breakthrough Results. Our discussion focuses on the vital role of accountability, which makes teams work or fail. With over 30 years' experience in the business world, Mark is a transformative leader, having helped hundreds of companies overcome stagnation, transform their businesses, and eliminate toxic work cultures to increase profits, morale and customer experience. Does your culture need an overhaul? Be sure to listen in!

Hear how memories impact you now and guide your future

What are your memories of growing up? Your friends? Neighborhood? Life-changing moments in our society? In today's podcast, Helen Newman, a friend from my elementary school (Davis Elementary School in New Rochelle, NY) and I discuss the power of memories. Although we had different experiences in high school (she was in a sorority, I was president of the Salmagundi Club), we both experienced the good times and not-so-good times of the 1960s. The funny thing about memories is that they're selective. We pick and choose the ones that fit our own story, often one where we are the heroes and we forget what others were struggling with or enjoying all around us. I guarantee that after listening to Helen, you will be amazed at her wisdom and joy.

Hear how to boldly take control of your own career path

Dr. Vicki Baker's sixth book in five years solidifies her standing as a nationally recognized expert in the unique issues faced by mid-career faculty in higher education. As she coaches numerous professionals, she has discovered a recurring theme: academicians get their degrees and often their tenure, but then get stuck or stalled in their career advancement. Is it that they need better mentors? Or do institutions need to identify and sponsor their high-performing stars earlier, and coach them along their pathways to career advancement? And this is happening not just in the world of academia. Industry is struggling with the same dilemma. Are you stuck or stalled in an academic position or a corporate career trajectory? Make a point to listen in for Vicki's solutions.

Learn what you can do to bring about real change

Here we are in November already and I'm having such a good time re-sharing with you some of my favorite On The Brink podcasts. I'm bringing to you conversations I've had over the past five years with amazing women entrepreneurs, authors, change agents and overall trailblazers who have challenged me to think in new ways. And as a culture change expert, that's what I'm all about: helping you too see, feel and think in new ways. So today I bring you Maureen "Mo" Berkner Boyt, founder of her company The Moxie Exchange and author of Rock Your Moxie: Power Moves for Women Leading the Way. This podcast was a follow-up to one we did in January 2018, in which we dug into research Mo initiated with CEOs around the country to see how they were implementing changes (or not) to increase both the diversity of their workforce and the inclusion of that diverse workforce. Is diversity real or just a concept? Listen in, then share!

Learn about the new technology that is disrupting everything

As this gorgeous fall rolls on, I continue to share with you some of my favorite On The Brink interviews from the last five years. What's the connecting theme? Amazing women who are forging ahead in spite of obstacles, outmoded gender roles and glass ceilings. Today I share with you my October 2019 interview with Samantha Radocchia (Sam Rad). An entrepreneur, speaker, author, futurist and emerging tech advocate, Sam combines the mindsets of an anthropologist and a technologist — which is why I was so excited to have her join me on that podcast. Sam also did a podcast with me back in 2018 on blockchain, which was shared widely. In this session, we focus on her groundbreaking book,Bitcoin Pizza: A No-Bullshit Guide to Blockchain, as well as what has been happening with blockchain in the year since we spoke initially. Check out both!