Greatness Podcast

Life, they say, is a never-ending learning process. And a curious mind is constantly eager to learn. Asking the right questions gets the right answers. In this episode of the Greatness Podcast, master questioner, content curator, and well-known public speaker Holly Ransom shares her motivating force behind human ingenuity, creativity, and progress. Holly, who has interviewed international leaders such as Barack Obama, Richard Branson, and Condoleeza Rice, aims to tackle complexity with curiosity, indifference with empowerment, and fear with facts.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or so the saying goes. A woman's resilience is one of her many admirable qualities. When we've been through adversity, we've strengthened ourselves for the next time something equally or more trying comes our way. I have invited my close friend, author, and engineer Jill Tietjen to discuss her most recent book, Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Overcome Obstacles. A collection of uplifting stories about perseverance, hope, and zeal.

Hope heals.The pandemic created some level of trauma for most of us. But how effective are we at moving past trauma and developing resilience? I would argue that society in many ways trains us to suppress our feelings rather than dealing with trauma and building resilience. Author and speaker Carrington Smith joined the Greatness podcast to share her deeply personal stories of trauma and tremendously helpful tips on how to process trauma and build resilience.

Helen Reddy performed the lyrics "I am a woman, hear me roar" in 1971. Decades later, are women being heard at work? We invited Carrie Arnold, Executive Coach and Principal of The Willow Group, and author of Silence and Sidelined, as a guest on the Greatness Podcast to discuss the topic. Her extensive research underlies her great suggestions for how to understand when your voice is being suppressed at work and what to do about it. 

Have you ever had the feeling that what you're doing isn’t good enough? You might be suffering from Imposter Syndrome, an internal belief that you are not as capable as others believe you to be. Alison Shamir, speaker, coach, and entrepreneur specializing in imposter syndrome and confidence, joined the Greatness podcast to share her expertise. After 15 years of working in the tech and media industry, Alison decided to become a full-time coach and speaker after her own experiences of Imposter Syndrome and her tips are spot on. 

Networking is great, but community building to create support, collaboration, mentorship, and accountability is incredibly valuable, especially if you are growing your own business. Kristine Monroe, founder of Business Bosses Who Brunch, joined the Greatness Podcast to talk about the organization she created to build community. I've come to realize the importance of these strong relationships.

Leadership is not just a work thing, it's a life thing. I'm fascinated by the science of positive psychology and how to leverage it as a leader. Jackie Insinger joined the Greatness Podcast to discuss her new book, Spark Brilliance, and her extensive research on the topic. Jackie discusses her framework of "platinum leadership", treating other people how THEY want to be treated. And I love this quote -  "brilliance is who you are and how you choose to show up". 

What would you do with your life if you weren't afraid? A question I've often pondered. Kate Osborne joined the Greatness podcast to discuss her viewpoints on this, shaped by her travel to 36 countries after university and her experience of being mentored by one of the first major Coca-Cola shareholders. Her point - we're here for 4,000 weeks - what are we going to do with these weeks? How do you stretch yourself to the growth zone by traversing the fear zone? Critical thinking skills, the ability to create our own unique, original thoughts, are essential to this journey. Kate also shares her top three tips for great leadership.

Few industries exhibited as much agility during the pandemic as the hospitality industry. As a fifth-generation hospitality/construction leader, Sarah Treadway, President/CEO of Stout Street Hospitality, joined the Greatness podcast to discuss how they kept every hotel open after dropping from 600 to 86 employees in March 2020 in an effort to take care of as many of their employees as possible. Sarah shares amazing insights on leadership and how her organization maintains a "family culture"; on her strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome as she balances her role as mom to four young children; and on how her company is investing in their greatest asset, their people, via strategies such as paying for the higher education of all dependents. Sarah traveled 5300 miles in a camper van to stay connected to her people throughout the pandemic. She is an outstanding leader, a fellow DU MBA, and a wonderful mother. 

Few people are as focused upon transforming the leadership and culture of the construction industry as Barb Jackson (www.barbarajackson.com). Barb joined the Greatness podcast to share her observations on an industry that she describes as "full of noble, hardworking, well intended people" but that is at times "visionless", focusing upon management instead of leadership. Barb's Women Building Change Leadership Program, and her new podcast, Stirring Up Dust, are two excellent resources for those interested in leading transformation in our industry.