A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the world

About Keith Dr. Keith D. Dorsey is a board member, researcher, and speaker focused on executives’ pathways to corporate board service. Founder of the Boardroom Journey, he empowers professionals to navigate their path to the boardroom. Author of The Boardroom Journey (Wiley), published in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and Directors & Boards, he writes extensively on leadership, governance, and board effectiveness. His research explores the structural and strategic factors that shape board selection, diversity, and corporate leadership pipelines. As the Senior Advisor and former Managing Partner and Practice Leader of CEO & Board Services at a global executive search firm, Keith has worked with corporate boards and leadership teams to identify and develop top-tier governance talent. Keith has spent over two decades as a growth strategist at Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. His expertise extends beyond research and consulting—he is an active board member and sought-after speaker on boardroom strategy and composition, leadership resilience, and the evolving role of corporate governance in today’s business landscape. Keith holds a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California and is a recognized voice on the intersection of leadership, governance, and diversity. He currently serves as an advisor to executives and organizations seeking to strengthen board effectiveness and navigate the complexities of governance in an ever-changing corporate environment. He splits his time between research, writing, board service, and advising senior leaders on securing board opportunities that align with their expertise and impact. Today We Talked About Keith’s background US Airforce Corporate America Boardroom Journey What to do differently? Diversity in Boards Be intential about being on a board Get Operational Experience Reverse Engineer your goal Have Courage Connect with Keith Book LinkedIn Website Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Katharine With over three decades of entrepreneurial success and the remarkable ability to overcome life-threatening health challenge, Katharine Loucaidou is a powerhouse of resilience and innovation. From founding successful businesses to revolutionizing the coaching industry with her groundbreaking AI platform, Katharine AI, she empowers entrepreneurs and leaders to reach unprecedented heights. Her book, AI Secrets for Unstoppable Business Success & Life Hacks, offers transformative strategies, blending her vast expertise with cutting-edge technology. She is also the host of the widely streamed Mindset Medicine Podcast, where her insights on mindset, performance, and business inspire a global audience. Katharine’s journey is a testament to the power of an unyielding spirit, making her sought-after speakers and coach who inspires relentless success. Today We Talked About Katharine’s background Using Tech and Analyitcs Video Marketing Podcast AI Prompts that help Katherine AI ReadAI Using AI for growth Improve your prompts Ask AI what it needs to know first Give it context Ask AI to “poke holes in my thinking” Switching beteween different AI tools for different purposes and styles Connect with Katharine LinkedIn Website Book Mindset Medicine Podcast Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Nate Nate Dinet is the founder and CEO of The Step Manager. With over 15 years dedicated to advocating for employees, Nate developed The Step Manager to provide accessible and affordable promotion and management coaching. His goal is to empower professionals to advance their careers and achieve work-life balance. This initiative reflects his commitment to fostering professional growth and operational excellence across various industries, including technology, sports/entertainment, and financial services. While Nate’s primary focus these days is advocating for individual contributors and middle managers everywhere, he also brings significant experience in tech startups and organizational transformations. Nate has led teams and products to market, improved organizational efficiency, and driven growth. A classic jack-of-all-trades, his background in consulting and product management helps clients drive their initiatives forward and, in his words, ‘get shit done.’ Today We Talked About Nate’s background Framework for managing teams The Step Manager Burnout Building Confidence Communication Leadership Agile/Scrum Output vs. Outcomes Reflection and Retrospectives Managing your WIP limits Building Great Teams Defining Career Ladders One-on-one agenda Connect with Nate Website LinkedIn Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Kathy Kathy Oneto is an executive and life-work coach, speaker, and facilitator who helps ambitious individuals and organizations explore how to live and work differently for greater success, satisfaction, and sustainability. With a portfolio career, she is also a strategy executive who bridges her two worlds applying strategic approaches to life and work decisions and practices. Kathy is the founder of Sustainable Ambition® and host of the Sustainable Ambition podcast. As a strategist, Kathy has had a twenty-five-year career working across business, branding, innovation, and talent. In her work today, she partners with ambitious organizations and leaders to illuminate and make progress on what matters, helping them do better for their business, customers, and people. You can learn more here. She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a B.S. in commerce from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School. She is certified in the Co-Active Coaching Model and by the International Coaching Federation. Her writing has appeared in Fast Company, Brandingmag, and MediaPost, and she’s been a guest lecturer at the business schools at Berkeley, the University of San Francisco, Duke University, and the University of Colorado. As a former triathlete and marathon runner, Kathy embodies the principles she teaches. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and the fog, where she builds her resilience outdoors. Her approach to life mirrors her work: finding joy in the journey while pursuing sustainable fulfillment across life and work. Today We Talked About Kathy’s background Work-life Balance Myth Sustainability Ambition Life-Work Sustainability When is the “Right” Time Season of your life Burnout Breaks Pomodora Vacation and Downtime Restoration Soul Days Setting Expectations and Norms for communication and availability Defining Success on your terms “You” Curve of Ambition   Connect With Kathy LinkedIn Website Book Podcast Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Melissa Melissa Dinwiddie is on a mission to help leaders and teams turn the “impossible” into reality by uncovering their creative potential. A Juilliard-trained dancer, professional artist for 15 years, jazz singer-songwriter, and performing improviser, Melissa brings a wealth of creative experiences to her work with companies like Google, Meta, and Salesforce. As the author of The Creative Sandbox Way™, she’s passionate about showing people how to embrace play, imperfection, and experimentation as tools for innovation. Known for her engaging, interactive keynotes and workshops, Melissa empowers individuals and teams to unlock creativity, strengthen collaboration, and thrive in the face of uncertainty. When not leading transformations, she’s making art or attempting ukulele-and-bass duets with herself. Today We Talked About Her background Creativity Create the Impossible Framework Play Hard – Turn every experience into a growth opportunity. Make Crap – Welcome imperfection as the path to discovery. Learn Fast – Embrace play as the fuel for creativity. Visual Note taking How can work bring in play? IMPACT Innovation Checklist Connection Communication Creativity FUN – Find the Flow Unlock the Meaning Name the Change (Now What?)   Connect with Melissa LinkedIn Website Book IMPACT Innovation Checklist Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Steve Steve has been at the forefront of global talent strategy and company culture for the past 30 years. Most famous for scaling Linkedin from 400 to 4000 in 3.5 years, Steve also led the development of LI’s legendary company culture and was at the helm of the Talent function for its period of the highest growth and through their IPO. Having worked in 5 different industries and 3 different countries while also leading dozens of acquisition integrations all over the world, Steve has built unparalleled expertise for the Talent arena. Steve’s focus today is to help leaders and organizations build winning talent solutions to compete in an increasingly complex digital economy.   Today We Talked About Steve’s background Future of work Tenure is declining rapidly 4 year is the medium tenure globally… USA is about 2.2 years. Developing a culture of growth Employees of the future Employees are loyal to learning People leave at the end of projects Make employees better for tomorrow Brain Chemicals Use AI to increase the Top line, not cutting the bottom line Work From Home Freedom Connect with Steve LinkedIn Website Book Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About James James Turk is an author, executive coach, keynote speaker, and CEO of The Turk Group, a boutique learning and development consulting firm. With over 25 years of experience, he has designed and delivered leadership solutions to clients globally, coaching and training upwards of 10,000 people. His extensive experience provides a unique perspective on effective leadership. Clients include Walmart, NYSE, BuzzFeed, Spotify, Seattle Genetics and others.. Influenced by his background as a trained actor, James builds strong, trusting client relationships. He holds a BS in Liberal Arts from The New School and gained valuable HR experience at Goldman Sachs, Random House, and P&O Nedlloyd. Clients highly value his forward-thinking insights. A self-diagnosed “geek” in behavioral science, James relishes new ideas and perspectives on the drivers of performance. He is an avid lover of food, travel, art, and culture. Today We Talked About James’s background The Giving Game Fear Emotional Intelligence Self-Awareness 4 considerations from the Secret Generosity What kind I bring vs. What is mine. F45 – First 45 Adding Value Language around your mission Investing in people climate vs culture Transparent and Vulnerable Is this a “Me decision, or a We decision”?   Connect With James Website LinkedIn Book Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Trevor Trevor Francis, Founder & CEO of 46 Labs, is an innovator in telecom with a relentless drive to improve global connectivity. With decades of experience building voice and business connectivity across several continents, Trevor has tackled some of the most complex challenges in telecom—whether modernizing infrastructure in developing nations, integrating networks after mergers, or streamlining enterprise communication. From his early days solving telecom issues in Central America to developing cutting-edge software for global enterprises, his ability to turn fragmented network systems into seamless, high-performance solutions has positioned 46 Labs as a leader in digital transformation. Today We Talked About Trevor’s background The Telecom space Copper telecom Latency Analog to Digital Wireless is the future Wireless Security Connect With Trevor Website LinkedIn Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Jamie Jamie Schwartzman is the Chief Creative Strategist and founder of Flux Branding, a premier branding agency with over 25 years of experience transforming businesses. An expert in corporate rebranding, Jamie developed the IDEA Method—a proprietary four-step branding process that reduces risk, reveals a brand’s true identity, and guides it to success. Under his leadership, Flux Branding has revitalized public and private companies, including helping Motor Car Parts of America [NADSQ:MPAA] boost their stock price from $2 to $38 per share through strategic rebranding. Jamie’s expertise was featured on Gordon Ramsay’s TV show “Food Stars,” where he appeared as an Expert Brand Strategist, coaching the winning contestant for the grand prize. For over a decade, he has shared industry insights through his “First Tuesday” newsletter, which includes monthly essays with branding insights. Passionate about crafting authentic brand stories that achieve growth, Jamie believes that change is the only constant. He and his team at Flux Branding continue to inspire and lead brands to embrace change, think strategically, and communicate boldly. He’s known for his wit, wisdom, and ingenuity— making him a seasoned advisor to business leaders who demand performance. Today We Talked About Jamie’s background IDEA Method Ignite Distill Energize Activate What is branding? How you feel about the company What is brilliant What is special What is unique Culture… Diamonds Leaders Eat Last Purpose finding Passage – Explorer Lead the way Small steps consistently taken, can yield a big journey   Connect with Jamie Website LinkedIn Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership

About Piers Piers Fallowfield-Cooper is a seasoned executive mentor and leadership coach with over 30 years of experience as a senior executive, having held roles such as Managing Director, President, CEO, and Chairman in global finance, technology, and e-publishing industries. Despite a late start due to undiagnosed dyslexia, Piers has built a remarkable career, leveraging his deep business acumen and passion for personal development to guide over 60 C-suite executives worldwide in the past decade. He holds an MSc in Coaching and a Certificate in Applied Neuroscience, blending academic expertise with practical experience to address diverse leadership challenges. Piers began his career in the financial markets of London, quickly advancing to roles in Chicago, where he honed his skills in futures and commodity markets. He later transitioned into general management, focusing on global sales and marketing strategies across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, gaining valuable insights into cultural differences. As President and later Chairman of the International Division of Oster Communications Inc., he played a pivotal role in expanding the business, increasing its enterprise value fivefold over 11 years while elevating service reliability, customer satisfaction, and client retention to top-tier levels. Known for his holistic approach to leadership, Piers has been featured by the Financial Times for his insights on intuition in business and as an inspiring leader. He is the author of Are You Still The Future?, a book that draws on his journey and those of his clients to offer thoughtful leadership guidance. With a reputation for insight, wisdom, and compassion, Piers customizes his mentoring to help executives discover their “internal compass,” fostering both personal and professional growth. Based in London, he continues to inspire leaders globally, fueled by his love for travel, music, and lifelong learning. Today We Talked About Piers’ background Steven Covey Emotional Bank Account Is this a scrimish or is this a battle?? Lose the scrimishes, win the battles Law of Requisite Variety Adaptability is what survives. Be Adaptable and Adoptable… Get a Mentor Work with What’s working… and do more and more of it. Find a world in which you fit, or create a world to suit you. What are your fatal flaws?   Connect with Piers LinkedIn Website Book   Leave me a tip $ Click here to Donate to the show I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again! #1 in Technical Leadership