Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

Some personal development programs focus on digging into your past to uncover what might be holding you back. Others emphasize getting over your past and focusing exclusively on your future. In this conversation Moustafa Hamwi makes a compelling argument for giving attention to both. He shares practical tips from his book, SLINGSHOT: The Practical Guide to Becoming a Master of Your Destiny, Not a Victim of Your History, that you can begin implementing immediately.Moustafa is a bestselling author, international speaker, and mindset coach. His background spans diverse disciplines—from executive coaching, hypnotherapy, yoga, and meditation to adventure sports and nature healing.  Moustafa’s unique lifestyle as an executive nomad has him traversing the globe, often spending months living out of a campervan, immersing himself in diverse cultures, and forging a deep connection with nature.  His quest for self-discovery leads him to learning and meditation centers worldwide, exploring the intricacies of mind, body, and soul. He’s globally recognized as a foremost expert and thought leader in reigniting passion within organizations and teams. You’ll discover: The story behind the book and what’s unique about Moustafa’s methodologyWhy it’s important to go through your past and not try to get over itHow to rewrite your story so it serves you and doesn’t limit youWhy courage, humility, and discipline are critical elements of effective leadershipTips for mastering your mindset so it frees you to master your destinyCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

There’s a skill that’s critical for success in every aspect of life, and that’s the ability to make good decisions. This episode’s guest, Kandis Porter is co-author with previous guest Damon Lembi of a must-read book on this topic: Good Decisions Equal Success: Stop Decision Anxiety and Start Taking Action. After listening to this conversation, you’re going to want to get a copy of this book for yourself and for every member of your team. It’s that good…and that important for your personal and business success. Kandis is the Founder and CEO of Effective Flow Connections, a management consulting company that helps transform organizations through strategic planning, project management, process improvement, change management, and training. Kandis also works one-on-one with clients, focusing on Leadership development and growth.  You’ll discover: The problem with making decisions strictly on your gut or emotionsWhy it’s important to clarify who’s responsible for the four decision rolesStrategies for prioritizing tasksWhat Time Bankruptcy is—and how to fix itHow to overcome decision fatigueCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

Character has always been essential for anyone in a leadership position. But what exactly IS character? And is it a fixed aspect of who you are, or can it be developed? In this episode, you’ll learn the answers to those questions from a special guest, Denny Coates, who’s been Meredith’s business partner for almost 33 years. He’s the CEO of Grow Strong Leaders, and his genius is in writing and creating content for the company’s books and products.  Denny has studied character for decades, and he’s just published a new book, Grow Strong Character, that explores this topic in depth. Together, he and Meredith developed a new online, self-paced leadership program called GSL SkillBuilder that facilitates mastery of high-impact communication skills and character skills. You’ll discover: How Denny defines characterThe relationship of communication skills and character to emotional intelligenceWhat’s required to strengthen a specific character skillThe role of coaching in the mastery of any skillGSL SkillBuilder’s unique structure for growing strong characterCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

What role does mindset play in achieving your greatest work and personal goals? It’s the foundation for everything! In this inspiring and valuable conversation, Sohee Jun, Ph.D., explains why that is true. We discuss several key ideas from Sohee’s latest book, The Aligned Mindset: Secrets of High-Achieving Women for Navigating Work and Life. Sohee is a premier leadership coach for women, mindset expert, bestselling author, corporate leadership facilitator, TEDx keynote speaker, and thought leader and contributor to the Forbes Coaches Council.  The Aligned Mindset is the result of her two decades of transforming the lives and work of high-performing executive women at top companies such as Netflix, Fox, Disney, and others. Sohee shares the secrets of how highly successful women have created a winning mindset—conquering imposter syndrome, silencing inner critics, and empowering them to prioritize their own version of success. You’ll discover: The role of awareness in achieving greater alignmentHow you can reframe the way you view situations or people Micro-actions that reduce self-doubt and build self-confidenceHow finding your North Star can guide your decisions about successWhy Sohee refers to mentors as your “Tribe of Advocates”Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

It’s not easy to make the transition from high-performing individual contributor to manager in an advertising agency (or in any industry, for that matter). TJ Bennett knows that first-hand because he was promoted to leadership roles with no advance preparation…and no training once he was in the position. In this episode, TJ shares lessons he learned along the way and the three primary areas he helps his coaching clients with.  TJ is the creative who helps creatives get creative with their career. Often beclad in cat-themed and/or Snoopy gear, TJ is pretty easy to spot in a crowd. Once you find him, you’ll discover that his love for felines and cartoon beagles is matched by a mildly unhealthy obsession with making work not suck. He spends his days listening intently to clients, helping them uncover insights that spark life-altering possibilities.  And he spends his nights dreaming of the same thing, except everyone is dressed like clowns and he forgot to wear pants for some reason. Rest assured he will never show up to a session sans trousers and will always show up with a fresh perspective that makes you think about work a little differently. TJ is the Founder of The Pudding Factory, where he serves as coach, creative problem solver, and writer. He’s the host of an excellent podcast, Desuckify Work. You’ll discover: How leaders can create themselves in order to help others be creativeWhat agency is and ways to develop itActions leaders can take to help their team members become autonomousWays to create accountability up, across, and downThe importance of values and purpose in helping people find meaning in their workCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

Have you ever thought of yourself as a perfectionist, or do you know someone who is? In this episode, you’ll learn a new term—and a way of being—that will give you a new sense of freedom. Michele Molitor has been helping her clients achieve greater joy and satisfaction in their lives for more than 20 years, and you’re going to love what she has to share as we discuss key ideas from her book, I Am Perfectly Flawsome: How Embracing Imperfection Makes Us Better. Michele Molitor, CPCC, PCC, CCHt, is a force for positive change in today’s challenging mental health landscape. As a master coach, hypnotherapist, speaker, and author, she has dedicated her career to helping others activate positive change in their lives, both personally and professionally.  As CEO of Nectar Consulting, Inc., Michele’s expertise focuses on empowering professionals to overcome anxiety, self-doubt, and the stress that often saturates modern work environments. Her approach is practical: to bring dignity into our communications that foster emotional well-being through genuine acceptance, belonging, and meaningful connection – with ourselves and others.  Clients affectionately dubbed her “The Mind Detective,” not just for her intuitive insights, but for her unique Rapid Rewiring™ approach that effectively combines the science of positive psychology and neuroscience with the healing powers of somatic and mindfulness practices. The results? Tangible improvements that make a real, lasting difference in people’s lives. You’ll discover: The differences between toxic perfectionism and striving for excellenceHow Michele has evolved from her own perfectionistic tendenciesWhy an effort to do everything right takes a toll on your mental, emotional, and physical healthThe benefits of embracing your flawsomenessWhat parents and leaders can do to help others when they fall short in their effortsCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

It’s not easy to create a strong, positive culture, and it’s even more challenging to sustain it for 10 years. That’s exactly what Dan Turner and his team have done at Xperigo. And instead of resting on this accomplishment, Dan continues to raise the bar for himself and for his company. Dan has been President and CEO at Xperigo since 2019. He’s also served as COO and Vice President of Business Development. Since joining the company in 2014, Dan has been instrumental in establishing Xperigo as a leading provider of customer experience management solutions to the automotive sector in North America.  With his people-first philosophy, Dan has placed significant emphasis on cultivating a high-performance culture at Xperigo, which has resulted in the company being the 3-time consecutive winner of the prestigious award, Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures™. Before joining Xperigo, Dan held senior leadership positions in both sales and client services at other large companies, where he managed strategic relationships with Fortune 500 companies like Apple, General Motors, and Netflix. He successfully secured over 500 million dollars in new business over his 12-year sales career. You’ll discover: Dan’s journey from tow truck driver to CEOThe qualities Dan learned from high school that have served him well as a leaderHow Xperigo’s values are used throughout the year by every leader and employeeWhy “Life Is Better Here” is the tagline used to attract job candidatesWays that Dan and his team used the results of the engagement survey to enhance the company cultureCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

Do you have a daily mindfulness practice? If you don’t—or you’re not even sure what that is—you’ll find out from guest Pamela Stambaugh why such a practice is an essential part of your day. In this valuable conversation, Pamela explains why focusing on who you are being (BE) needs to precede the actions you take (DO) and the results you want to achieve (HAVE). You’ll learn how to practice 3 As—Accountable, Awake, and Aware—and how they impact your ability to lead and influence others. Pamela is the President and Founder of Accountability Pays Inc., a certified woman-owned business. She has an MBA and is an ICF-certified executive coach. Recently, Pamela has begun to create products based on what she’s learned from coaching senior leaders and their teams for more than 25 years.  She’s worked with clients from diverse industries, including construction, medical devices, financial services, and manufacturing. Her clients have included companies like GE Healthcare, Abbott, and the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. Pamela maintains her mindfulness by participating in personal transformation courses provided by Landmark Education and maintaining spiritual and athletic practices. You’ll discover: The Be Do Have model and how mindfulness fits inPamela’s daily mindfulness practicesVarious ways that Being impacts your effectiveness as a leaderWhat’s required to be both a trustworthy and a trusting leaderWhy leaders need to be trustworthy and trustingCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

What if you landed your dream job and discovered that it didn’t deliver the fulfillment you were seeking? That’s what happened to Johannes Leerink, and it happened more than once in his career. In this conversation, he shares that journey with us. You’re going to love hearing his story as well as the insights he gained along the way, all of which led to the work he does today. Johannes shares his takeaways from the Proctor & Gamble management training programs and his role as President and General Manager at Sara Lee. He applied these lessons and those from personal development programs to his work in transforming multinationals, hospitals, and NGOs into high-performing organizations.Today Johannes is the founder of The Hidden Transit. He’s dedicated to helping highly successful professionals achieve their desired progress while unlocking a new dimension of fulfillment and freedom.You’ll discover: How Johannes defines freedomThe breakthroughs he got when attending Landmark programsWhat transformed a hospital system from silos and isolation to an environment of loveThe distinction between “knowing about” and “being” the 7 HabitsWhy Johannes refers to himself as a “Progress Maker”Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

What’s required to work effectively with people from different cultures? Paula Caligiuri has been studying this question for 30 years, and she’s created strategies that leverage your natural strengths while developing cultural agility competencies. You’ll gain valuable insights that you can apply immediately when working with diverse populations locally or globally. Paula is a Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University's D’Amore-McKim School of Business. Before that, she was a professor of HR management at Rutgers University for 18 years. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Skiilify and the creator of the free MyGiide assessment. Her specialty concerns cultural agility's importance as a critical leadership competence. She explains it all in her excellent book, Build Your Cultural Agility: The Nine Competencies of Successful Global Professionals. You’ll discover: What cultural agility is, and why it’s critical for leadersWhy Paula considers curiosity and humility to be key competencies for cultural agilityThe dangers of training around unconscious biasPaula’s approach to training that fosters open, honest conversationsInsights from research projects that Paula has conductedCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro