SPARKED

Ever feel like the rise of virtual communication has turned your workdays into a jumble of endless emails, frantic messages, and back-to-back video calls? One minute you're on a Zoom wrangling meeting attendees, the next you're desperately trying to craft the perfect Slack message before your manager thinks you've gone AWOL?If so, you’re not alone. The chaotic world of remote and hybrid work can leave our heads spinning. But what if I told you there are secrets to virtual communication mastery that can bring clarity to the disorder?My guest today has spent years studying the science of how we can all become better virtual communicators. Andrew Brodsky is an award-winning professor at the University of Texas at Austin and CEO of Ping Group. He's an expert on workplace technology, communication, and productivity. Andrew's new book, PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication, provides a roadmap for navigating our digitally-infused lives.Guest: Andrew Brodsky, author of PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual CommunicationLearn more: BookHost: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.

Ever felt a goal slip away? Discover the ‘Success Scaffolding’ framework, a structured system designed to help you achieve life-changing goals. The podcast dives into seven pivotal principles, focusing on aligning your ambitions with vitality, connection, or contribution. Learn how to create personalized scaffolding that supports your journey, ensuring your goals are meaningful and achievable. With tools like purpose and community support, you’ll be inspired to transform your aspirations into reality for 2025.

My guest today is Monica Parker, a former lawyer, leader and people developer in big companies who's now a professional organizer. Despite early success and prestige in her business career, Monica felt a persistent yearning for more meaningful, transformative work.Through profound life experiences like a near-death encounter, Monica summoned the courage to start listening to her heart's callings. This led her on an uncharted journey of self-discovery - one that revealed her Primary Sparketype® as Advisor, Shadow as Maven, and Anti as Advocate.You'll hear the crucial role these revelations played in Monica's radical pivot from leading people and developing people in a corporate setting to combining her natural mentoring gifts with the KonMari organizing philosophy. In her current path, she's able to directly witness profound growth as clients purge possessions that no longer "spark joy."~ And if you’d like to share your career transformation story on the Sparked podcast, to inspire others who may be feeling stuck or unsure about their own career paths, we encourage you to apply to be a guest and check out the form in the show notes. Because we believe that everyone deserves to find fulfillment and purpose in their work.To apply, please check out this form. We can't wait to hear from you!ABOUT YOUR HOST: Jonathan FieldsJonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 950,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.More on Sparketypes at: Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.

Corey Keyes, Professor emeritus at Emory University and an expert on mental health, dives deep into the concept of languishing—an emotional state between depression and flourishing. He shares insights from his book on recognizing the signs of languishing and the importance of relationships, purpose, and play in overcoming it. Keyes emphasizes the need for awareness around this mental health spectrum, urging listeners to take steps towards vitality and reconnect with joy in their lives.

Have you ever felt that inner tension, that little voice telling you something just doesn't feel right? That you're being asked to go along with something that conflicts with your values and who you truly want to be?If so, you're not alone. And my guest today, Dr. Sunita Sah, has spent decades studying this very phenomenon - the struggle between compliance and defiance. Dr. Sah is an award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. She leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, compliance and defiance. A trained physician, she has worked in medicine, consulting and now teaches executives and leaders.Dr. Sah's trailblazing work, including her latest book 'Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes', provides a revolutionary roadmap for staying true to yourself in any situation - whether at work, in relationships, or amongst societal expectations.Guest: Dr. Sunita Sah, author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands YesLearn more: Website & BookHost: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.

What if you could ditch the outdated model of top-down leadership and instead create an environment where anyone can catalyze a collective vision? Where every voice is empowered to contribute their unique brilliance towards extraordinary outcomes?Today, we're rethinking what it truly means to lead in the modern age. My guest today, Keith Ferrazzi, is on a mission to initiate a profound shift - from rigid hierarchies to an inclusive new paradigm he calls "teamship."Keith Ferrazzi is a renowned executive team coach, keynote speaker, influential thought leader, founder of Ferrazzi Greenlight, and author.His latest book, Never Lead Alone: 10 Shifts from Leadership to Teamship, draws on two decades of research and field work to provide a revolutionary roadmap for the future of collaborative work.Guest: Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Lead Alone: 10 Shifts from Leadership to TeamshipLearn more: Website & LinkedInHost: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.

In today's episode we're revisiting a listener question posed to Jonathan Fields and one of our rotating lineup of wise and kind mentors - the SPARKED Braintrust.SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Jadah Sellner | WebsiteJadah is a multi-time founder and CEO of Jadah Sellner Media, the co-creator of the Simple Green Smoothies social and business phenom, sought-after advisor to entrepreneurs, and bestselling author.LISTENER: Heidi - Sparketype: Advocate/Warrior | Anti MakerQUESTION: Listener Heidi, poses a big question that is very pertinent to this moment in time. She shares her devotion to advocacy particularly around climate activism and asks how do you harness your skillset to show up in work and life and make a meaningful difference? Heidi is hopeful that a lot of us are also asking the same question when it comes to the climate crisis and asks how do you know where to focus your energy to have the biggest impact?YOUR HOST: Jonathan FieldsJonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissionsMore on Sparketypes at: Discover You Sparketype | The Book | The Workshop | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.

So much of our lives is governed by the desire to feel safe. I get it. The world can feel like an unstable, scary place. Feeling physically and psychologically safe matters. To our mental and physical health. But, does that come a point where playing it too safe actually causes us harm? Makes our worlds, our relationships, experiences and lives smaller. Less good?Feeling like, deep down, you know there’s more to life than merely existing within the confines of a box that, sure, might feel safe, but also keeps you and your life so much more narrow and limited than it could otherwise be? And, all too often, the confines of that box, that alleged safety, have been drawn by someone else’s expectations. Our guest today is Chase Jarvis, and his new book “Never Play It Safe: A Practical Guide to Freedom, Creativity, and a Life You Love” serves as an inspiring clarion call to challenge the notion of safety as an excuse for complacency. An award-winning artist, serial entrepreneur, and one of the most influential photographers of the past decade, Chase has created campaigns for iconic brands like Apple, Nike, and Red Bull. He’s also the co-founder and former CEO of CreativeLive, an online education platform that’s helped over 50 million students unlock their creative potential.You can find Chase at: Website | Instagram Host: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.

What if you could approach your path with greater intentionality? Thoughtfully designing how you want to move through both work and life, leveraging your unique gifts to create maximum positive impact?In today's powerful discussion, we'll explore a whole-being framework for leading and living with profound meaning. One that begins by getting anchored in your core purpose as the guiding light.Our guest today is Laysha Ward, accomplished C-suite executive with over 32 years of senior leadership experience at Target.Laysha is a purpose-driven leader with a nationally recognized track record delivering for the consumer brand. An insightful strategist, spokesperson, and author of the new book "Lead Like You Mean It: Lessons on Integrity and Purpose from the C-Suite."Cover photo credit: John HaynesGuest: Laysha Ward, author of the new book "Lead Like You Mean It: Lessons on Integrity and Purpose from the C-Suite."Learn more: Website & LinkedInHost: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.

How do you get through each day, let alone build a meaningful, connected and rewarding career when rapid-fire, constant change, groundlessness, unrelenting pace, overwhelm, and even workplace toxicity have become the norm?That’s where we’re headed with my guest today, Gabriella Rosen Kellerman. An author, entrepreneur, start-up executive, and Harvard-trained physician with expertise in behavioral and organizational change, digital health, well-being, and AI, Gabriella began her career in psychiatry and fMRI research. She is the founding CEO of the healthcare technology company LifeLink, and Gabriella has served as Chief Product Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at BetterUp, a transformation platform for global professionals, and as Head of BetterUp Labs. Her new book, Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work—Now and in an Uncertain Future which was co-authored with renowned psychologist Martin Seligman, also known as the father of positive psychology, offers critical insights for facing a wildly fluctuating, seemingly perpetually unstable future of work. And in our conversation today, we explore a bit of Gabriella’s background and her own trajectory in her career before diving into five science-backed strategies or workplace superpowers that can help us all thrive at work. From resilience to building rapid rapport at work, there’s a lot of great insight to learn here.You can find Gabriella at: Website | LinkedInHost: Jonathan Fields, creator of Good Life Project podcast and the Sparketype® Assessment,More on Sparketypes:  Discover Your Sparketype | The Book | The WebsitePresented by LinkedIn.