Lifting Leaders Podcast

Thriving in ’25: Santa Barbara Magic, Conference Connections & Lobby Chats!

We’ve been in Santa Barbara, California, THRIVING at the Hudson Learning Conference.  This is just an introduction to the experiences we’ve had this past week.  We made great connections, both new and old and have learned so much about Possibilities, ahead!  We are so honored that Lifting Leaders Podcast was spotlighted during the conference and we look forward to welcoming new listeners and followers, as a result!  Many thanks to Hudson Institute’s amazing staff, for a world of support they gave us, to make this happen.  Listen in as we talk to a fellow Seattle coach, at the conference, and learn how she is Thriving in 25!  Also, we are giving a shout out to Corey, our favorite garden center representative, for his expertise and support in teaching us about native plants that attract and nurture birds, bees, and butterflies! Check out the episode…we recorded in the lobby!

Earth Day! Helping Pollinators THRIVE in 25!

This week’s episode seems so timely, as we are digging into the beauty and importance of creating spaces that attract and nurture birds, butterflies and bees.  These vital creatures are not only a joy to watch but they play a critical role in our ecosystems – and their populations are declining! Listen in as we share a bit of information and statistics on this topic.  Learn how incorporating native plants in your garden space provides the food and shelter these pollinators need to thrive. Whether you garden in a yard or containers, you can create an enticing space for these beautiful and important critters.  We would love to hear from you – what are you doing in your garden or outdoor space to support birds, butterflies, and bees? 

Continuing to THRIVE in 25!

As we continue on our theme of “Leaders THRIVE in 25,” we look to ChatGPT, to help us show different ways, in which we can all THRIVE, this year.  Listen in and learn how we decided to use this AI tool, without bailing on the commitment we have to our own values, knowledge and experience.  Learn more about the courage and bold steps it takes to thrive and how reflection helps us grow into an intentional state of thriving. Hear how imagination ignites a contagious energy that can inspire others to dream and thrive as well.  Finally, BONUS…we have an AI-inspired poem that wraps all of this up with a bow.  We hope you enjoy this episode and that you feel inspired to reach back and share your thoughts about it.  We would love to learn what you’re doing to THRIVE in 25.  Enjoy!

Courage Found in Gems from Carole McCluskey

There were so many gems to be found, during our interview with Carole McCluskey (Episode 132).  We decided to focus on Finding Courage as an appropriate gem for this week’s episode. During our interview with Carole, we noticed that she has essentially lived in courage, throughout her amazing career, from being one of the first women leaders in the tech industry, to trekking by bike over long stretches of our country, and so much more!  In today’s world, we are experiencing unprecedented change and upheaval and many of these changes are testing our courage in new ways.  Speaking up, when it matters, can be seen as truly courageous.  Is it courageous to speak up about work matters, on the job?  For those who may work in environments that don’t seem psychologically safe, practicing courage may be a bold move.  Listen in as we share some essential steps to finding your courage.  Learn why we say that courage is a skill. 

Fascinating Visit with Pioneering Leader, Carole McCluskey

With our theme of “Leaders Thrive in 25,” we are introducing more practicing formal leaders on our show, to hear their journeys, their ups and their downs and what it took for them to “thrive” in leadership.  We are excited to introduce you to Carole McCluskey, tech industry leader/executive with over 35 years in various roles, including board and advisory roles in companies like Redbox/Coinstar, MOD Pizza, TrueBlue, Tealium and TIBCO Software.  Spend this time with us as Carole shares why she is an “accidental success story.”  You may be able to identify with some of her lessons learned, along her career journey.  Learn about what she claims is the best advice she ever received.  The story that led to that advice is a real eye-opener.  So, if you’re at home, get comfortable.  If you listen while commuting…you know what to do!  In any event, we think you will be glad you spent time listening to this episode.  Enjoy!

Coaches’ Corner: Checked Your Values, Lately? The Value of Knowing Your Values

What are values and what purpose do they serve?  If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to make a very difficult and important decision, you have most likely had to do a bit of soul searching.  What you were seeking was the answer that you could believe in or that you felt was the right decision.  How did you do that? Well, this episode is about the importance of knowing your values. Listen in, and learn about where they come from, how they serve a purpose in your life and what to do when they aren’t working anymore. Spend this short time with us, as we discuss the foundation that guides our decisions and our behaviors. Looking for ways to determine what your true core values are?  Listen in for a simple way to do that.  

(Encore) Peter Block on Reclaiming Control of our Collective Well-being through Activating the Common Good

(Encore edition) This week we launch our special series, Opening Your Heart, with guest Peter Block, who challenges us to shift our mental framework from scarcity to abundance and enough. He shares a new organizing principle and paradigm for our culture, the Common Good which relies on all of us opening our hearts to connect and create relationships in our communities to have a positive impact on the world (it starts with you!). Find out the 7 key areas that every community universally cares about and new ways to measure our well-being. In this powerful and vulnerable interview, Peter shares his own perspectives on story, place, impact and why he still asks himself, have I done enough? We invite you to grab a warm cup of tea or coffee, sit back and enjoy the unique pace of this episode that invites you to pause, slow down and soak it all in.

Creating Havens of Harmony in the Work Place with Andrea Lucky

In this episode we talk with Andrea Lucky, CEO and Founder of Silver Fern HR Consulting, to help leaders navigate through this tricky time in our workplaces. Andrea shares the impact she is seeing right now in our organizations by the division, uncertainty and chaos in our country. What if we could create havens of harmony for our employees in our teams and organizations? It is possible. Andrea shares with us practical steps we as leaders (and we are all leaders) can take to make this a reality. 

Mining Gems from Jeff McAuliffe – What’s Your Vision?

Springboarding off of the great visit (#128) we had, with Jeff McAuliffe, we are revisiting something we spent some time unpacking…dealing with overwhelm.  While overwhelm is a state of being that most of us face, from time-to-time, it seems to be hitting more and more people, right now.  Life has presented one challenge after another, since 2020, and we barely navigate through one issue, before another one, two, or twenty present themselves.  Listen in as we Zoom Out, for a moment, to look at what is happening these days that may be unsettling for some (and certainly is, for us).  Then learn what we are doing and what you can do to Zoom In, and boulder through some of life’s challenges, and find new ways to Thrive.  It’s not about just surviving, although, if that is all you can do, right now, do it.  It’s about Thriving, and we  strive to be there now and moving forward.  Enjoy!

Caring for Ourselves and Our Environment – A Return Visit, With Our Friend, Jeff McAuliffe!

We are so happy to welcome back, our friend, Jeff McAuliffe, accomplished consultant, coach and author of the bi-weekly environmentally focused newsletter, “52 Weeks of Earth Day” If you live on this planet, you may have been experiencing confusion or any one of several emotions around what is going on, locally, nationally, and globally. We are facing a tremendous amount of change (and challenge), politically, environmentally, economically, and personally. All of this is having an impact on how we navigate our own feelings, how we interact with others, and how we look at the ways in which we must now plan for our futures. While all this can feel very heavy, we have choices. Listen in and learn about some of the choices that Jeff has been making, that are helping him navigate through this new climate we are finding ourselves in. Find out how Zooming out to take a more global view of our current world can help us, as we Zoom in toward acting with greater intention, on a more local level. Want to learn more about how to build resilience as a change agent? This episode is packed with true gems that will help us all THRIVE, in 25 and beyond.