The Will to Change: Where Leadership Meets the Courage to Evolve
Jennifer Brown
Why is change so difficult and yet so necessary?
We live in a world that is increasingly complex, unpredictable, and demanding of our resilience. The challenges we face are not just external but deeply personal, asking us to redefine who we are, what we stand for, and how we lead.
Transformation isn’t just a possibility, it’s an imperative.
On The Will to Change, Jennifer Brown invites listeners to explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, resilience, and human connection. Each month, we feature both thought-provoking conversations with a guest who inspires new ways of thinking, as well as Jennifer’s reflective mini-episodes that dive deeper into themes like courage, growth, and the art of navigating uncertainty.
This isn’t just about leadership in the workplace - it’s about leadership in life. Together, we’ll examine the systems and beliefs that shape us and uncover how to lead authentically, inclusively, and boldly in a rapidly changing world.
If you’re ready to stretch beyond the familiar, embrace new perspectives, and discover the will to evolve—for yourself and others—this podcast is for you.
To learn more, visit http://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
We live in a world that is increasingly complex, unpredictable, and demanding of our resilience. The challenges we face are not just external but deeply personal, asking us to redefine who we are, what we stand for, and how we lead.
Transformation isn’t just a possibility, it’s an imperative.
On The Will to Change, Jennifer Brown invites listeners to explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, resilience, and human connection. Each month, we feature both thought-provoking conversations with a guest who inspires new ways of thinking, as well as Jennifer’s reflective mini-episodes that dive deeper into themes like courage, growth, and the art of navigating uncertainty.
This isn’t just about leadership in the workplace - it’s about leadership in life. Together, we’ll examine the systems and beliefs that shape us and uncover how to lead authentically, inclusively, and boldly in a rapidly changing world.
If you’re ready to stretch beyond the familiar, embrace new perspectives, and discover the will to evolve—for yourself and others—this podcast is for you.
To learn more, visit http://jenniferbrownspeaks.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 18, 2021 • 1h 5min
E171: Pride Book Launch! Guest Host Jenn T. Grace and the Storytellers of The Real Lives of Transgender and Nonbinary Humans Join the Will to Change
Tune in for a special takeover episode of the Will To Change. Jenn T. Grace, Founder and Publisher of Publish Your Purpose Press, hosts the episode. Jenn discusses the release of Publish Your Purpose Press's first anthology, The Real Lives of Transgender and Nonbinary Humans. Joining her are several of the contributors as they discuss their lived experiences and why they decided to share their story in this anthology.
Jun 12, 2021 • 1h 1min
E170: Embedding Disability in DEI with Kathleen West-Evans, Director of Business Relations, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
This episode was originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, and features a conversation with Kathleen West-Evans, Director of Business Relations, The National Employment Team (NET), Council of State Administrators of VR. Learn more about this diverse talent pool, and the intersections of race, culture and disabilities and what the impact will be post-COVID on retaining and returning the "long haulers" to the workplace.
Jun 10, 2021 • 1h 18min
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: Getting Free, Together: Desiree Adaway on Why Healing Anti-Blackness Heals Us All
This episode was previously released on The Will To Change. Note: Join Desiree for Whiteness at Work, beginning on June 15th, 2021, to explore ways organizations have successfully pushed back on the norms of white dominant culture in the last year. Register for the free training at http://whitenessatwork.com Desiree Adaway, DEI consultant, trainer, coach and speaker, joins the program to discuss why anti-racism efforts ultimately benefit everyone in an organization. Discover how to move beyond performative allyship and the need to pay attention to power dynamics. Desiree also shares her thoughts about the recent executive order regarding DEI training.
Jun 5, 2021 • 55min
E169: Obstacles and Opportunities: Managing Our Triggers As Allies
This episode was originally a Toolkit Conversation at the Better Man Conference, and features a conversation with Jennifer Brown, as well as Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta and Tony DeGruy, Technical Systems Engineering Leader for Cisco’s Workforce Experience team. Moderating the event was Eduardo Placer, CEO of Fearless Communicators.
Jun 2, 2021 • 46min
E168: Banking on 100 Million Formerly Incarcerated Talent
This episode, originally recorded as a DEI Community Call, features Susan Mason, Teresa Hodge and former NFL player Jordan Babineaux, the managing partners of the Bank on 100 Million Network as they discuss how corporations operationalize their DEI commitments to hiring FIT (formerly incarcerated talent). Discover the startling statistics about overcriminalization, why the current system continues to punish and marginalize formerly incarcerated talent, and how that is negatively impacting not just that talent, but DEI and talent strategies for organizations.
May 29, 2021 • 1h 4min
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: Building Cultures of Dignity: Next-Generation Belonging with Rosalind Wiseman
Rosalind Wiseman, parenting educator and author, joins the program to discuss how to foster civil dialogue and inspire communities to build strength, courage and purpose. Discover how to create physical and emotional wellbeing by working in close partnership with the experts of various communities–including young people and business leaders.
May 21, 2021 • 1h 2min
BEST OF THE WILL TO CHANGE: Pain and Possibility: How Dr. Maysa Akbar is Charting What's Beyond Allyship
From the Best of The Will To Change: Dr. Maysa Akbar, groundbreaking psychologist, author, and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University, joins the program to share her own diversity story, including overcoming childhood trauma. Discover a new identity model of allyship, and how to engage well-intentioned, but misguided allies.
May 20, 2021 • 43min
E167: Millions of Micro-Moments of Bravery with Joze Piranian, Stutterer, TEDx Speaker and Stand-Up Comedian
This episode, originally recorded as a DEI call, features an interview with Joze Piranian, Global TEDx Speaker and a lifelong stutterer turned transformational speaker on inclusion and resilience. Joze also shared information about stuttering, and revealed what he has learned from his own journey.
May 14, 2021 • 1h 5min
E166: Disruption as a Great Teacher: With Charlene Li
New York Times bestselling author Charlene Li joins the program to discuss what we can learn from disruption and the connection between disruption and DEI work. Discover the characteristics of a disruptive leader and the one thing that leaders can do to help make their organizations more disruptive.
May 5, 2021 • 1h 5min
E165: Equity Evolution: Business Meets Culture with Creative Director Rana Reeves
Rana Reeves, Executive Creative Director and Founder of communications agency RanaVerse, returns to the program to discuss the work that he is doing to connect brands with popular and contemporary culture for commerce, utilizing the lens of diversity and equity to tell stories and highlight experiences to the mainstream.
