Chief Change Officer

Waverly Deutsch doesn’t just coach entrepreneurs—she translates English to English, reframes stories with strategy, and helps even the most logic-trained professionals tap into their conviction. In this three-part series, we walk through her unusual path from consulting to Chicago Booth to founding WyseHeart, her pitch strategy firm.

Each episode reveals a new dimension of her journey: the personal (Part 1), the academic and instructional (Part 2), and the entrepreneurial, including her bold take on how to co-exist with AI (Part 3). Across every chapter, Waverly models what it means to coach with both love and logi...

Waverly Deutsch doesn’t just coach entrepreneurs—she translates English to English, reframes stories with strategy, and helps even the most logic-trained professionals tap into their conviction. In this three-part series, we walk through her unusual path from consulting to Chicago Booth to founding WyseHeart, her pitch strategy firm.

Each episode reveals a new dimension of her journey: the personal (Part 1), the academic and instructional (Part 2), and the entrepreneurial, including her bold take on how to co-exist with AI (Part 3). Across every chapter, Waverly models what it means to coach with both love and logi...

Waverly Deutsch doesn’t just coach entrepreneurs—she translates English to English, reframes stories with strategy, and helps even the most logic-trained professionals tap into their conviction. In this three-part series, we walk through her unusual path from consulting to Chicago Booth to founding WyseHeart, her pitch strategy firm.

Each episode reveals a new dimension of her journey: the personal (Part 1), the academic and instructional (Part 2), and the entrepreneurial, including her bold take on how to co-exist with AI (Part 3). Across every chapter, Waverly models what it means to coach with both love and logi...

In Part Two, Brian opens up about what it really cost him to tell the truth inside a political system built on avoidance. From surviving misinformation attacks to refusing to play nice for the sake of power, he reflects on the risks and responsibilities that come with using your platform when it might backfire. We also hear how he rebuilt after the storm—why starting over matters, and what he’s doing differently this time around.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

The Price of Authenticity

“I didn’t lose because I lacked...

In Part One, Brian walks us through the pivotal moments that shaped his path—from coming out as a college athlete to confronting power structures as a civil rights lawyer. He shares how being raised by military parents shaped his moral compass, how football taught him about leadership under pressure, and why he believes his queerness has made him a better, sharper advocate. This is the story of a public servant forged in fire—and not afraid to stay loud.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

The Day Job and the Gay Job

In Part Two, Kevin Eikenberry challenges the myth that leadership is just for those with formal authority. He unpacks the idea of “leadership by choice,” reflects on the rise of remote work, and shares practical advice for building influence, trust, and connection—especially when you’re not in the same room. With insights from decades of coaching and his own mistakes, Kevin makes a compelling case: the future of work belongs to people who choose to lead, wherever they are.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Leadership Isn’t a Title

“You don’t ne...

In Part One, Kevin shares the personal and professional journey that shaped his leadership philosophy—from farm life to corporate training to becoming a global thought leader. He explains why leadership isn’t about innate traits or job titles, but about everyday choices. Drawing from his early career, client work, and lessons from home, Kevin lays out why leading by default isn’t enough—and how you can start leading by design.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

From the Farm to the Front of the Room

“I didn’t grow up thinking...

In Part Two, Adaira Landry goes beyond storytelling and gets strategic—explaining how to stop saying yes to everything, avoid burnout, and take back control of your time. She shares how the original title of her book almost became Chisel, why Micro Skills isn’t meant to be read cover to cover, and what FOMO vs. JOMO really means in your career.

This episode is a mindset shift for anyone who’s overcommitted, overextended, or overdue for some clarity. Her message is simple but powerful: just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you shoul...

Before she became a physician, educator, and mentor to hundreds, Adaira Landry felt out of place in nearly every professional room she entered. In Part One, she opens up about entering college at 16, watching a man collapse on campus, and how that moment -- and a painful accident -- pulled her toward medicine. She reflects on growing up without access to mentors, and why that made her even more intentional about creating useful, inclusive career tools later on. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at what shaped the voice behind Micro Skills.

Key Highlights o...

In Part Two, Resa gets tactical. She explains why Micro Skills begins with time, trust, and self-care—because none of the communication tricks matter if you’re running on empty. She unpacks workplace blind spots that slow careers down, shares why she wrote this book for more than just doctors, and explains why clarity, not complexity, wins in high-stakes situations. Also: BCC etiquette, post-traumatic growth, and the exact moment she realized the workplace comes with an unwritten playbook—and how she set out to write it.

This is about what really sustains you: self-respect, situatio...

In Part One, Dr. Resa Lewiss reflects on the experiences that led her to emergency medicine, from early memories of gender inequity at the dinner table to the interdisciplinary studies that shaped her worldview. She shares why she chose a career in high-pressure medicine, how a love of procedures led her to ultrasound, and why teaching globally changed how she practices and leads.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Medicine Was a Calling, Not a Family Trade

“I didn’t grow up around doctors. But from early on, medicine was in my b...

Sienna Jackson, the CEO of Nortera.io, walks us through her unexpected shift from entertainment executive to impact strategist. 

In Part Two, Sienna Jackson dives deeper into the business of social impact—from why she walked away from Hollywood to how she’s now helping build one of Africa’s largest funding summits. She explains how impact is more than a buzzword—it’s a measurable, strategic discipline. Sienna shares how to bridge silos, build coalitions, and roll up your sleeves to help the helpers. From the boardroom to Ethiopia, she shows that real change isn’t about ego or...

Sienna Jackson’s career began fast and early—college at 14, internships with The Weinstein Company, and leadership roles in the entertainment industry by her twenties. But behind the résumé was someone quietly questioning the rules of success. In Part One, Sienna shares how a childhood of contradictions, an early taste of toxic power, and a deep sense of cultural responsibility led her to rethink everything.

She didn’t just pivot—she designed a new model where impact isn’t a bonus, it’s the baseline.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

From Piano Lessons to Pol...

From facing seven years in prison at 17 to leading soldiers in Afghanistan, Jevon Wooden’s story is more than a redemption arc—it’s about owning your power the moment you realize you’ve still got one.

In Part Two, Jevon gets tactical. He breaks down the frameworks behind his coaching work—from redefining confidence, to managing emotional triggers, to the underrated power of setting non-negotiables. We talk inner dialogue, identity shifts, and what it means to actually “own your kingdom.”

This isn’t just mindset—it’s method. And it’s built on real scars, not theory.

Before Jevon Wooden became a business coach, author, and speaker, he was a 17-year-old on trial—facing up to seven years in prison. In Part One, Jevon shares how that moment became the turning point that led him to the military, and how the battlefield taught him about clarity, purpose, and emotional control.

This isn’t just a story about second chances—it’s about deciding who gets to write your next chapter.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

The Moment Everything Changed

“I was 17, on trial, and scared out of my mind. That...

You’ve got the credentials, the data, and the ideas. But how do you make people actually care?

In Part Two, Mark unpacks his 11 Keys to Translating Complexity (complexitymadeclear.com) —an actionable framework to help scientists communicate clearly, concisely, and with impact. He explains why it’s not about dumbing down your message but lifting it up so others can meet it. From the science of metaphor to the neuroscience of attention, Mark arms PhDs with tools to shift from overlooked to influential—without losing their intellectual edge.

This episode is your field guide to getting...

Before founding Bayer Strategic Consulting, Mark Bayer led communications on Capitol Hill for nearly two decades—helping politicians cut through noise, make arguments stick, and win support under pressure. These days, he brings that hard-earned clarity to a new crowd: scientists, researchers, and PhDs who need to get their message across in rooms that don’t speak science.

In Part One, Mark unpacks why so many highly educated experts still struggle to connect—and why messaging isn’t about making things simpler, but sharper. He shares stories from Congress, contrasts the cultures of academia and advocacy, and reveals...

After decades of chasing external wins, Sande Golgart decided to stop running. In Part Two, he shares the uncomfortable, intentional work of stepping back—what it took to unplug from achievement addiction and start redesigning a life that fits from the inside out.

This isn’t a story about reinvention through ambition. It’s a blueprint for growth through subtraction: less noise, more clarity; fewer roles, deeper connection; no hustle, just truth. From mending his marriage to redefining success, Sande opens up about what he calls “Life Peels”—and why letting go is the new way up.

Key Hig...

Before he became a coach and founder, Sande Golgart was addicted to acceleration. He said yes to every challenge, thrived in high-stakes boardrooms, and made a name for himself as a relentless performer. But behind the energy and accolades, something didn’t sit right.

In Part One, Sande retraces his early life as a dunk contest champion, his rise through the corporate ranks, and the moment he realized the game he was winning wasn’t one he wanted to keep playing. What started as hustle became habit. What looked like progress felt like pressure. And what came next...

Jodi Silverman never expected reinvention to arrive between carpools and client meetings. But once her kids left and the hustle paused, she realized success had masked something deeper: restlessness. 

In Part 2, Jodi shares the emotional (and practical) shift from parenting full-time to rediscovering your own interests. She walks us through her signature DARE Method and dishes out real talk on marriage, identity, and why your kids aren’t your best friends (even if you really, really like them).

This isn’t just an episode about empty nests. It’s about refilling your own life—on your own...

Jodi Silverman never expected reinvention to arrive between carpools and client meetings. But once her kids left and the hustle paused, she realized success had masked something deeper: restlessness. 

In this episode, Jodi shares how she walked away from a print business, wrestled with guilt, and built Moms Who Dare—a movement for women redefining purpose in the second half of life. 

This isn’t about motherhood or milestones. It’s about refusing to shrink when your old identity no longer fits.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

The Accidental Entrepreneur

“I had...

Before Richard Carson wrote The Book of Change, he was writing letters to newspaper editors and fixing chaos in city hall. 

In Part 2, we unpack how Richard’s 39-step framework came to life—from a career shaped by failures to a model refined by fieldwork. Richard explains why he borrowed diagnostic tools from medicine, how COVID and AI are reshaping his thinking, and what consultants often forget: you’re not there to impress, you’re there to listen. It’s a masterclass in what it really takes to move people—and systems—without losing your common sense.

Key Highli...

Before Richard Carson wrote The Book of Change, he was writing letters to newspaper editors and fixing chaos in city hall. 

In Part One, he retraces the early detours—from archaeology hopeful to urban planner to accidental consultant. With every chapter, one theme stayed constant: real change happens when you stop assuming and start listening. Whether it’s a time-tracking nightmare or a consultant who forgot to swap client names in the proposal, Richard’s stories cut through the noise to reveal why change fails—and what to do instead.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

From...

What does it really mean to follow your heart—without losing your head? 

Lora Chow shares how her music venture, Virtuoso Fiesta, brings classical music to new audiences while keeping its soul intact. She opens up about funding live concerts, launching her new album Reveries on Ivories, and composing as a form of storytelling. This is more than a career pivot—it’s a case study in blending logic and intuition, technology and art, structure and spirit.

Whether you’re chasing harmony or still stuck in the noise, Lora’s story will tune you back in.

...

Lora Chow didn’t abandon ambition—she just rewrote its score. 

In this episode, we trace her unusual arc from elite finance to classical composition. She opens up about choosing Yale over Cambridge, chasing Wall Street dreams, and what it really took to reclaim her voice—literally. This isn’t a story about dropping out or burning out. It’s about tuning into the parts of yourself that never stopped playing.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Choosing Yale Over Cambridge Wasn’t Just About Prestige

“My heart wanted music. But my mom majored in...

You’ve admitted the career no longer fits. Now what?

In Part Two, Helen Hanison, former global PR executive turned executive career coach, walks us through what real change takes—beyond pep talks and pivot memes. She unpacks her three-act framework (Alignment, Redesign, and Transformation), explains why people cling to jobs they secretly loathe, and warns against the “anchor bias” that keeps us chasing the same dream long after it’s stopped making sense.

From spotting your outdated success scripts to mapping out future obstacles, Helen makes the case that career reinvention isn’t linear—it’s a zigzag...

Helen Hanison was a high-flying PR executive with a passport full of stamps, million-dollar campaigns, and a board-level title. But after 20 years in the industry, she found herself questioning everything. Motherhood collided with her career, success lost its sparkle, and the feeling of being “stuck-but-still-good-at-it” became suffocating.

In Part One of this two-part conversation, Helen shares the moment she realized her success was seducing her into staying in the wrong life. She opens up about the subtle signs of misalignment, the “lost years” between knowing something’s wrong and doing something about it, and how her pivot into psych...

Jean Zhou’s journey defies every linear career chart. 

After starting in accounting and dabbling in venture capital, she found herself chasing something spreadsheets couldn’t capture—emotion. That led to Wind Entertainment, a bold bet on storytelling rooted in sociology, psychology, and a lifelong obsession with television. In this episode, Jean reveals the early frustrations that sparked her producer dreams, why she believes storytelling is a survival skill, and how her sociology background became the secret sauce to building character-driven dramas that resonate worldwide. 

This is the story of how data met drama—and lost.

Nellie Wartoft is the founder and CEO of Tiger Hall, a change enablement platform built for teams tired of stale workshops and change theater. In Part One, she takes us from her tiny hometown in Sweden to the boardrooms of Asia, where flipping burgers at McDonald’s, carrying an ice hockey trunk to Singapore, and watching companies struggle with real transformation all shaped her mission. This is change management with edge—equal parts adventure, insight, and rebellion.

Key Highlights of Our Interview

Change Theater vs. Real Impact

“Most companies don’t fail at change b...

Nellie Wartoft is the founder and CEO of Tiger Hall, a change enablement platform built for teams tired of stale workshops and change theater. In Part One, she takes us from her tiny hometown in Sweden to the boardrooms of Asia, where flipping burgers at McDonald’s, carrying an ice hockey trunk to Singapore, and watching companies struggle with real transformation all shaped her mission. This is change management with edge—equal parts adventure, insight, and rebellion.

Key Highlights of Our Interview

Sweden, Cows, and a One-Way Ticket

“On my 18th birthday, I booked...

In this final part, we go beyond buzzwords. Colin breaks down how to make AI work for you—not replace you. He explains how human intelligence and machine intelligence can combine to create authentic, enhanced value. From warning students not to cheat with ChatGPT to showing executives how to tailor their own AI strategy, Colin’s message is clear: You don’t need every tool. You need the right ones—and a deeply human way to use them.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

You Don’t Need Every Tool—Just the Right Ones

“People want a...

In this episode, Colin deconstructs the romanticism of “lifelong learning” and makes a sharp case for skill stacking—not as a buzzword, but as a career imperative. From the strategy rooms of Japan to the boardrooms of Canada, he unpacks the realities of navigating change in cultures, families, and workplaces. Plus, why some organizations say they want transformation but are actually addicted to the comfort of legacy systems. 

If you’re tired of collecting degrees that lead nowhere, this one’s for you.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

The Illusion of Change-Readiness

“Some com...

If reinvention were a passport, Colin Savage’s pages would be full. From global projects across seven countries to helping old-school industries like Japanese insurers modernize with tact, Colin’s career isn’t just built on change—it thrives on it.

In Part One, we go deep on the difference between chasing novelty and building purpose. Colin dismantles the dated idea of “lifelong learning” and replaces it with something sharper: skill stacking. You’ll also hear how he developed change muscles by moving countries, industries, and ideas—without ever losing sight of what matters.

Key Highlights of Ou...

Rebecca Sutherns didn’t follow a straight path—and she’s the first to say that’s the point. As a strategy coach and solo entrepreneur for 27 years, she’s helped leaders rethink what’s next while doing the same for herself. In this two-part series, we talk about work-life trade-offs, momentum, and why imagining your future might be the most strategic thing you’ll do. 

If you’ve ever hit pause or felt stuck in place, this one’s worth a listen.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

Midlife Isn’t a Crisis—It’s a Cue

“I was...

Rebecca Sutherns didn’t follow a straight path—and she’s the first to say that’s the point. As a strategy coach and solo entrepreneur for 27 years, she’s helped leaders rethink what’s next while doing the same for herself. In this two-part series, we talk about work-life trade-offs, momentum, and why imagining your future might be the most strategic thing you’ll do. 

If you’ve ever hit pause or felt stuck in place, this one’s worth a listen.

Key Highlights of Our Interview:

27 Years Solo—By Design

“I’m in year 27 of...

Robert MacPhee didn’t start out teaching values—he started out parking cars. But somewhere between the valet stand and becoming Jack Canfield’s right-hand man (yes, that Chicken Soup guy), Robert found his lane. Now the author of Living a Values-Based Life, he’s guiding people to stop driving in circles and finally align their actions with what truly matters.

In this second half of the series, Robert breaks down how to live out your values in everyday life—not just name them. We dig into why values change with life stages, what to do after you’ve ide...

Before he was coaching CEOs or co-creating workshops with Jack Canfield, Robert MacPhee was parking cars. That detour became a defining feature—not a footnote.

In Part One, Robert shares his unlikely path from backstage support to clarity coach. We explore why most people struggle to name their values, how he built the “Excellent Decisions” framework, and why aligning your choices with your core values is less about woo-woo ideals and more about long-term clarity.

Forget vibes—this episode is about learning to steer your life with your own internal compass.

Key Highlights of Our I...

Part Two.

The queen of corporate improv is back—and this time, we’re going deeper into the messy, magnificent art of failing forward. In this episode, Erin Diehl shares her Worst Terrifying Failure (aka WTF moment): how the pandemic brought her business to a standstill, her body to a breakdown, and her mindset to a crossroads. But instead of spiraling, she built a comeback rooted in self-healing, radical joy, and a step-by-step method called MOVE ON.

From chronic pain to corporate reinvention, this episode is a masterclass in resilience—with punchlines. Spoiler: the joke’s not on...

Before Erin Diehl was training Fortune 500 teams to think on their feet, she was juggling job fairs by day and Second City by night.

In Part One, we go back to the origin story—how a recruiting job collided with a comedy stage and sparked a business idea no one saw coming. From cold pitching United Airlines with zero credentials to redefining ROI as “Return on Objective,” Erin shares how improv became her leadership laboratory. Along the way, we talk about joy, failure, and what really happens when you turn your side hustle into your full-time mission.

K...

In a world obsessed with AI, automation, and the next big tech trend, Todd Davis believes human intelligence is more valuable than ever.

Sure, AI can crunch numbers—but can it build trust, resolve conflicts, or make people feel heard?

In Part 2, we go straight into the human side of leadership—why most people don’t actually listen, why trust is like a bank account, and how one employee nearly lost her career over a simple blind spot. Todd also shares a powerful story about a prison inmate who transformed his life using The 7 Habits—a remind...