Mojo for the Modern Man

Stephen Shedletzky, Head of Brand Experience & Lead Igniter at Simon Sinek knows a thing or two about "Why."  He also knows a few things about making the journey from stuttering to becoming a passionate, erudite speaker, podcaster, producer and determined chaser - and catcher - of dreams...And Shed, as his friends call him, is just a good, good man.In Part 1 of our conversation, Stephen shares his childhood history of stuttering, traveling from humiliation to "triumphant failure" - and the powerful influence of his Zayde, (Yiddish for Grandfather) a Holocaust survivor with a fifth-grade education - who seemed destined to become a great and beloved teacher with a universe of stories and wisdom to hand down...You can learn more about Stephen's work with Simon Sinek, watch videos of his talks and, of course, find him on LinkedIn!

Dori Ben-Chanoch spent his childhood years on an Israeli kibbutz surrounded by larger-than-life heroic warrior figures - and mysterious travelers visiting from exotic locales such as Northern Europe...Here in Part 2 of our conversation, we dig into Dori's experience of navigating the world of VUCA - volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity - in the form of a significant family health circumstance that no parent would ever want to face.As Dori wisely reminds us, "no mud, no lotus..."It's a powerful story.You can learn more about Dori and his great work on his website, Dor to Core  and, of course, you may find him on LinkedIn!

Dori Ben-Chanoch spent his childhood years on an Israeli kibbutz surrounded by larger-than-life heroic warrior figures - and mysterious travelers visiting from exotic locales such as Northern Europe...In Part 1 of our conversation, Dori unpacks his history as a young kid raised, quite literally, by a village, how occasional forays into cities were like "going to the moon" - and the way he was bitten by the travel bug carried by outside visitors.  Dori's story offers a peek behind the curtain of being made a soldier from the raw materials of a sensitive kid, and moves from learning to discern the qualities of effective leadership in adverse conditions to developing an insatiable hunger for growth, discovery and positively impacting the mysterious larger world waiting in the distance...You can learn more about Dori and his great work on his website, Dor to Core  and, of course, you can find him on LinkedIn!

Jayson Krause, leadership strategist, author, speaker and founder and managing director at  Level 52,  an award-winning leadership and executive coaching firm, spent a number of his young adult years in the pilot's seat of a bobsled hurtling down icy tracks at speeds of up to 100 MPH.In this, Part 2 of our conversation, Jayson unpacks more of the his own story, including "the cost of the sport" and the effort involved in order to shave hundredths of a second of time off a bobsled run - and how principles from hours of sharpening blades apply to other areas of life and leadership.  We discuss the art and importance of speaking what's so - even when it may fly in the face of established norms and practices...And how unexpected twists can lead to changes and, more importantly, unforeseen successes and triumphs of character.You can hear Jayson's own podcast here: https://www.level52.ca/podcast, travel here to view his YouTube speaker's reel and, of course, find him on LinkedIn.  Jayson's new book, The Science Behind Success - What Every Leader Need to Know About Mindset, Influence, Culture and Performance is scheduled for release in November, 2020.

My guest Jayson Krause, leadership strategist, author and speaker, spent a number of his young adult years in the pilot's seat of a bobsled hurtling down icy tracks at speeds of up to 100 MPH.In Part 1 of our conversation, Jayson tells of growing up in Mountain West of the US and Canada and traveling the world as a teenager playing hockey.  He shares how a love of football led to a bobsled camp that led to an 8 year career on the Canadian World Cup Bobsled Team - and how those experiences laid the groundwork for his work with Level 52,  the award-winning leadership and executive coaching firm he founded.Puns fully intended and absolutely fitting, Jayson's story has more than a few twists and turns, and shows, often vividly, how less than ideal events and circumstances can pave the way for unforeseen successes and triumphs.You can hear Jayson's own podcast here: https://www.level52.ca/podcast, travel here to view his YouTube speaker's reel and, of course, find him on LinkedIn.  Jayson's new book, The Science Behind Success - What Every Leader Need to Know About Mindset, Influence, Culture and Performance is scheduled for release in November, 2020.

Rev. Sean Harvey's  journey has taken him from truck stops (as the child of two truckers) to activism, from the testosterone-addled pressure-cooker of Wall Street to the corporate offices of a women's fashion company, from graduating from seminary to founding the Sympónia Institute for Global Compassionate Healing - a stunning retreat center in the lush hills of Asheville, North Carolina...  The man has stories to tell and lessons to share!In this, Part 2 or our conversation, Sean discusses in-depth his time at Eileen Fisher - and the rich lessons learned working within a corporation that places a high value on Feminine Leadership and wholeness - in which men made up just 17% of the workforce.  We also look at the need for elevating compassion in our organizational and cultural systems and the role of acceptance and emotion as part of individual and collective evolution.Sean highlights the importance of looking in the mirror for self-compassion, self-forgiveness and self-love as an essential starting place for growth as leaders - and much, much more...Find out more about Rev. Sean Harvey and his work at soulfulfacilitator.com - and on Twitter at the_soulfuledge , on LinkedIn , or Instagram at the_soulfuledge - and have a look at The Compassionate Masculinity Project!

Born to husband and wife truckers, Rev. Sean Harvey's  journey has taken him from truck stops to  activism, from the testosterone-addled pressure-cooker of Wall Street to the corporate offices of a women's fashion company, from graduating from seminary to founding the Sympónia Institute for Global Compassionate Healing - a stunning retreat center in the lush hills of Asheville, North Carolina...In this, Part 1 of our conversation, Sean shares his personal story, discussing listening to his inner voice versus pursuing money, status and title, creating realities from imaginal realms, walking away from Wall Street after having played the hyper-masculine game until it ran out of gas - and making his way to Eileen Fisher, where he did a lot of unlearning and even more discovery via, as he says, learning to "stay in the complexity of the gray."

Time with Edwin Vega, one very cool man with a great story to tell, is time well-spent...At the tender age of 12, Edwin left home in Cleveland, Ohio for a boarding school in Hershey, Pennsylvania - and an ongoing adventure that weaves from singing in school choirs to operatic stages, from corporate training rooms to New York City, including a stop at the Grammys because, you know, that's just what happens...In this, Part 2 of our conversation, the inimitable Edwin takes us ever deeper into his work in diversity, equity and inclusion - including how, years after having left the world of opera, the world of opera circled back looking for Edwin - and his work.We take a peek at some historically wobbly legs beneath a beautiful, elegantly-set buffet table, discuss how love of country and dedication to systemic change are, in actuality and by necessity, mutually inclusive...And, of course, there's that Grammy Award!You can connect with Edwin Vega on LinkedIn - and hear him sing on YouTube!

Edwin Vega is one very cool man with a great story to tell...At the tender age of 12, Edwin left home in Cleveland, Ohio for a boarding school in Hershey, Pennsylvania - and an ongoing adventure that weaves from singing in school choirs to operatic stages, from corporate training rooms to New York City, including a stop at the Grammys because, you know, that's what happens...In this, Part 1 of our two-part conversation, Edwin shares his personal story including his work in the arena of diversity, equity and inclusion - and what singing in front a very large audience has to do with leadership.Enjoy!

In Part 2 of my conversation with Christopher Veal, father, author, speaker, coach, motorcyclist and Chief Daditude Officer at Daditude Coach, we'll plunge into the deep end of the pool for a look at men and connection, men portrayed in the media, men and our relationship to stoicism, vulnerability, why curiosity matters now more than ever - and taking ownership of our wounds, their connecting power and the information they hold...Yup.  Christopher and I cover a lot of very fertile ground!Since we recorded our conversation, Christopher has launched his own podcast, "The Vulnerable Man" which, as you may guess, is full of depth.Enjoy!