Menttium Matters

Research psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Alison Fragale shares science-backed strategies for building professional status and power. Learn how to overcome imposter syndrome, master authentic self-promotion, and use her "brag and thank" technique to advance your career. Alison breaks down the difference between power and status, reveals creative storytelling methods (including her viral out-of-office strategy), and explains why mentorship matters at every career stage. Perfect for professionals looking to gain recognition and influence in their workplace.

Mick White, speaker and founder of The 100 Year Manifesto, joins the Menttium Matters Podcast to explore how defining your purpose can elevate your life, leadership and legacy. He shares powerful personal stories, the importance of asking the right questions and how small, consistent actions can lead to lasting impact. Discover how purpose-driven living creates deeper fulfillment, both personally and professionally.

Lan Phan, Founder and CEO of Community of SEVEN, joins the Menttium Matters Podcast to share how aligning your values, building authentic connections and taking small daily actions can lead to powerful, lasting change. This uplifting and practical conversation is packed with insights on purpose, mindset and the importance of community.

Susan T. Schuster, Innovation and Leadership Educator & Midwest Regional Field Manager at Wish of a Lifetime from AARP, shares how to accelerate action by realizing, celebrating, and nurturing your network. Learn practical strategies like closing the triangle, understanding social health, and creating meaningful third places. Whether you're looking to strengthen connections or expand opportunities, this episode will help you harness the power of your relationships. Tune in for insights that will inspire action in both your personal and professional life!

Marisa Williams, CEO of Girl Scouts River Valleys, talks about the power of authentic leadership and embracing disruption. In this episode, Marisa shares her journey from early activism to transformative leadership, offering insights on managing change, empowering future leaders and balancing work-life priorities. Tune in for actionable advice and inspiring perspectives on driving meaningful change.

Join Urmi Trivedi, leadership and career coach, as she shares actionable insights on navigating change, building confidence and achieving success. In this episode of Menttium Matters, Urmi discusses the power of mentorship, overcoming self-doubt, and strategies for personal and professional growth. This episode is packed with tools to help you adapt, lead and thrive.

Join Kelli Schutrop, CEO and Founder of Thoughtful Resound, as she shares actionable insights on building a personal brand, enhancing executive presence and establishing thought leadership. In this episode of Menttium Matters, Kelli provides practical strategies for leveraging LinkedIn, growing visibility and creating meaningful industry connections to advance your career. Perfect for professionals at any stage of their journey, this episode is packed with tools to help you stand out and succeed.

Are you an introvert navigating a world built for extroverts? Executive Coach Krista Claude shares her proven 5-step process to help introverts find their voice, build confidence, and excel in leadership roles. Learn how to overcome challenges, start small, and amplify your strengths to unlock new opportunities in your career.

Chris Clark, retired President & COO of Dentsply International, and Brett Koch, Vice President at a leading biopharma company, discuss the long-term benefits of executive mentorship. They share how their mentoring relationship, helped Brett further develop his leadership skills, build trust, and achieve personal and professional growth.

Peter Ray, a biopharma strategy and operations executive, joins Megan Cummings Kruger to discuss leadership, strategic thinking, and the transformative power of mentorship. Peter draws from his extensive experience in the life sciences industry, offering insights on holistic learning, decision quality, and how taking time to pause before making decisions improves outcomes, both professionally and personally.

So much of mentoring is about seeing the world through another person's eyes. In this episode, we gain an unusually broad perspective from Tim Meyer, a Clinical Scientist and Corporate Executive. From his start as a Subject Matter Expert to his evolution into a global business leader, Tim's journey spans large corporate environments and agile startups. Central to Tim's success has been his willingness to stretch beyond his comfort zone and his passion for continuous learning, which has fostered a deep respect for the unique power of mentoring partnerships. His mentoring mentality is evident as he candidly discusses challenges like "Imposter Syndrome", managing conflict, and the valuable life lessons he's learned from his experiences as both a mentor and a mentee. This conversation offers a perspective you won't want to miss!

In this episode we are invited inside a successful partnership, recently completed by an Executive Mentee and Mentor. The powerful and authentic story that Tom Schlick and Mike Terry share here provides a roadmap to the kind of trust that unlocks a partnership's full potential. They offer tips, as well as their appreciation for the unique nature of a cross-company mentor relationship. And throughout their discussion, they demonstrate their openness to hold courageous conversations and provide us with an inspirational view of what is possible when two partners make an intentional and holistic connection.

In this episode, we celebrate Pride Month with our guest Dr. Renee McLaughlin, the National Medical Executive, Value-Based Relationships at Cigna. Cigna just received its 11th consecutive perfect score for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion based on the Corporate Equality Index. Dr. McLaughlin will talk about the current environment for LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion and best practices for creating an inclusive work culture. She offers recommendations for being a stronger ally for LGBTQ+ people with a powerful model of the 3 L's: Let go, Learn, Lean In!

In this episode, Rob Grubka, the CEO of Workplace Solutions for Voya Financial will share Voya's strategy for creating an inclusive workplace culture. He reveals why building a foundation of trust is so important, and how Voya creates an organizational culture based on trust. He discusses the ways in which Voya has responded to the “new normal” and how they have rolled out hybrid and remote work options in response to employee preferences. Rob offers advice to up-and-coming leaders. Listeners will also hear Rob's personal annual review questions that have helped him navigate his career path.

In this episode of the Menttium Matters Podcast, listen as Larry Sherrell, a seasoned dives deep into the art of self-development. Discover his unique perspective on nurturing talent and his essential strategies for personal and professional growth. Larry kicks off the discussion by deep-diving into the art of creating a strong self-development plan. He emphasizes the critical role of prioritization and introduces a practical 3-step approach that can help you stay focused and achieve your career goals effectively. Tune in to learn how prioritizing personal growth and leveraging proven strategies can pave the way for career advancement and fulfillment. Don't miss out on the keys to success—start unlocking your career potential and leadership skills today!

In this episode, we explore the power of strengths in both team dynamics and leadership development. Our guest, Jolie Haupert, Vice President of Consumer Experience at U.S. Bank, shares insights from her career journey, including a pivotal moment where she transformed her division to better reflect diverse communities. Jolie discusses how leveraging her strengths helped facilitate this cultural shift and how embracing diverse perspectives strengthened her team. Throughout her career, she emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and uses tools like Gallup's StrengthsFinder to empower her mentees and enhance team leadership. Join us as Jolie reveals practical strategies, like utilizing creativity to support team well-being during times of change and disruption. Discover how embracing strengths and diversity can lead to stronger, more effective teams. Go team!

We kick off International Women's Day with this inspiring episode featuring Lynn Sontag, Menttium's owner, and Missy Chicre, Menttium's CEO.  Lynn and Missy share their powerful stories of learning, growth, and surprises during this year of transition.  They role-model a transformative mentoring partnership and offer authentic acknowledgments to each other.  They also reveal their visions for the future of Menttium.  

In this episode, Craig Warren shares his best practices for strategic career planning aligned with your values and purpose; professional development; and networking with ease. Growing your professional garden involves cultivating cheerleaders, advocates, mentors, and a personal board of directors that will help you propel your career to the next level. Craig offers sage advice for bringing out the best in yourself personally and professionally: 1. Know yourself. 2. Push yourself. 3. Love yourself. 4. Be true to yourself.

In the past few years, as we've navigated through turbulence and stress, the adage that we need to “place the oxygen mask on ourselves, before we can help others" has become more relevant. In this episode, Mentor Sue Willman (VP Care Collaboration for Athenahealth) shares her powerful story of living this truth.    Sue was driven to change her personal narrative and self-expectations after enduring an overwhelming amount of stress that included the loss of parents, a series of new jobs, moving from the family home due to surgery, and having 3 of her adult children return home during Covid (one of whom needed support with long haul symptoms). The openness and wisdom that Sue shares during this conversation will resonate with many of us as an inspiring example of how to ride the waves of change.

Join our conversation with Jaime Taets - a dynamic CEO, public speaker, author, podcast host, and thought leader who is focused on helping individuals, and companies, identify and push past whatever is holding them back from achieving all that they are capable of. Jaime's ability to reframe perspective is inspiring and energizing and will have you rethinking where you are, and where you want to go.

The ballroom dancer Ginger Rogers is said to have done everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in heels. Which is an excellent illustration of the additional challenges and hurdles that women, professionals of color, and other groups of difference can face in the corporate world. And how different the view may be, depending on who and where you are. In this episode Kimberly Grey, Vice President of Global Talent Management for Leggett and Platt, shares with us her perspective and insight as a Black Woman who has successfully navigated her career as an executive leader. Kim offers tips around the skills she largely credits with her success including: networking, setting expectations and being effective in holding others accountable. Her authenticity, and wisdom around intentionality, make for a great conversation – while also reinforcing how much we can learn when we choose to broaden our view!

In this episode, communication expert Karen Laos, reveals a proven four-step process for asking for what you want. Karen offers strategies for getting clear on what you want, overcoming self-doubt, building a case for your idea, and asking in a way that makes it hard to say no. Listeners will learn to ask for what they want with greater confidence and ease.

In this episode, we connect with Vera Michelle Lewis, who is the Vice President of Development and Communications for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. We focus on the topic of mental health – which is increasingly being recognized not as a stigma, but as a human issue that we will all deal with at some point in our lives. In fact, with global unhappiness currently at an all time high, many of us are seeking a way to increase our own sense of well-being right now. Vera shares openly and authentically what she has learned (both professionally and personally), through the lens of a female professional of color. And her message of reaching out to others, not surprisingly, echoes the essence of mentoring.

In this episode, Craig Warren talks about leading an organization so that equity, diversity, and inclusion are reflected in the policies, processes, and culture. He discusses the difference between individual bias and systemic bias and encourages leaders to use data to measure DEI outcomes. He notes that inclusive leaders must do their own self-reflection and should follow the Platinum Rule.

In this episode, global HR leader Gerardo Soula shares his expertise on: leading global teams; mentoring people from other cultures; effective cross-cultural communication; influencing people around the globe; change management; and successful M&As. You will learn his best practices for global leadership in this changing business landscape.

In this episode, Menttium's CEO Missy Chicre, and inQUEST's CEO Scott Hoesman come together for a conversation about the intersection of DEI and mentoring. Through the lens of their rich backgrounds, they share powerful examples of how mentoring and DEI enable an organization to achieve impact and drive outcomes. They also discuss innovative leadership practices for expressing, modeling, and reinforcing a high-performing organizational culture where everyone feels valued, respected, welcomed, and heard.

In this episode, Ha-Keem Abdel Khaliq, a Global HR leader and executive coach, shares his four pillars for success based on his book, You're Worth it! Advice, Insights, and Inspiration to Propel Your Career. He shares his best practices for authentic self-promotion, which includes questions you should ask yourself to make it easier to talk about your strengths.

In this episode, Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq, a Global HR leader and executive coach, offers excellent advice for career planning based on his book, You're Worth it! Navigating Your Career in Corporate America. This episode will help listeners think about career planning in a new way. Coach Ha-Keem also offers best practices for taking your career to the next level.

In this episode, we take a look at the intersection of focus and resilience. We hear from Maria Kauffman, a women's leadership expert who transformed her corporate engineer experience into a life coach practice (as well as creating the podcast “The Everyday Heroine”). Maria discusses the common misconception that resilience is a personal trait, when in fact it is a skill we can all develop. She shares a 5-step process that provides the structure to focus on who we are, how we may choose to face our challenges, and how we can take ownership of our careers. Join us for an inspiring and joyful conversation.

In the past year, the technology landscape has witnessed remarkable progress, particularly in breakthroughs related to artificial intelligence. In this episode of the Menttium Matters Podcast, Dr. Leanne Ward shares her perspective on where AI is elevating the way we connect, collaborate, and communicate and explores the important question of how businesses can adopt AI in an ethical and responsible way.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we sat down with Craig Warren, who is the CEO of Washburn Center for Children, Minnesota's leading mental health center. Children's mental health has been declared a national health emergency, and a recent PEW survey shows that it tops the list of things parents worry about. Craig walks us through the signs parents should look for that a child might be experiencing anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges, and highlights resources parents can use to support their children's wellbeing. He provides best practices for what parents and caregivers can do to empower kids and teens to be more resilient. He also offers his number one suggestion for how parents and caregivers can prioritize their own mental health.  

In this episode, we continue the conversation initiated during our Business Education Webinar that focused on the topic "Quest for Balance - Reclaiming Wellness in all Aspects of Life". Amy Brandli returns to provide a wealth of tangible and time-tested practices proven to increase our sense of well being. Centered around the 'Four Pillars of Well Being', Amy shares daily best practices and practical tips for all aspects of well being - Physical, Mental, Social and Emotional. Come prepared to take notes!

On this episode of the Menttium Matters Podcast, Adam Dill breaks down a common leadership challenge and provides a holistic perspective on what Executive Presence is, as well as tips on how to lead with authenticity and decisiveness. He also addresses how to influence and inspire the people around us! Click to listen to practical tips on being an effective leader and influencing change, even if you are a self proclaimed introvert.

On this episode of the Menttium Matters Podcast, Menttium's Megan Cummings-Krueger sat down with 15-time Menttium Mentor, Tom O'Brien, for an authentic and insightful conversation about life-changing events, how they alter our perspective, and how to open ourselves up to what is possible. He also shares how his own personal and professional experiences led him to find his passion for mentoring. 

In this episode, Dr. Leon Zeng reveals a newly developed interview technique to find the best talent for a position. He shares what it felt like to come to the US as an immigrant and describes the positive impact his Menttium mentor had on his career trajectory. We discuss why it can be difficult to change behavior, and he suggests two simple steps that help people make positive changes. As an expert influencer, Dr. Zeng also shares his #1 strategy for influencing.

In this episode, we hear from a grief and loss expert, whose path of purpose took a sudden turn when her CEO husband was killed at work. Jody LaVoie shares the life lessons she's learned as she navigated through this abrupt, painful change that impacted her personally, professionally, and as a parent. Her story of resilience is inspiring and offers a unique perspective on managing the reality of constant change.

We celebrate Women's History Month with Sarah Blomquist, who is a passionate advocate for empowering women in the workforce. Sarah offers timely advice for navigating the contradictions we all face, like “fit in” and “be authentic.” She shares what she wishes she would have known 10 years ago and reveals lessons she's learned from being a working mom.  Sarah draws on her extensive HR experience to suggest structural changes and best practices that will support women to reach executive levels. 

We kick off Women's History Month by featuring this inspiring episode with Lynn Sontag and Missy Chicre. Lynn and Missy will share their powerful stories of how they came to Menttium. They will discuss how Menttium has thrived for over 32 years and why mentoring is needed more than ever in this current environment. They will also reflect on what it means to lead a woman-owned business and share their vision for the future of Menttium. 

In this week's episode, James Prince draws on his 30 years of leadership in the Human Capital Management Space for iconic Fortune 500 brands to share best practices for developing a strong executive presence.  In celebration of Black History Month, James also discusses barriers African American employees continue to face in the workplace and offers strategies that leaders can implement to address these challenges.  James outlines how organizations can move beyond DEI fatigue to create impactful practices to prioritize DEI throughout the year.  

In this episode, Tricia Price, SVP of Customer Experience Operations for GM Financial discusses her experiences with imposter syndrome, being authentic, and thriving in a male-dominated industry. She highlights how hard work, continuous learning, and adopting a servant-leadership mindset have been key elements in her success. She reminds us that confidence is a skill that can be developed, oftentimes with the help of a mentor. Tricia also reveals her strategies for creating best-in-class customer service. 

In this episode, Heather Whelpley follows up her imposter syndrome webinar by giving a brief overview of imposter syndrome and then answering webinar participants' questions. Heather offers actionable advice on shifting from over-work to setting healthy boundaries.  She talks us through how to protect yourself from feeling “not good enough” when you work with perfectionists or are treated as an outsider.  She also offers some best practices for responding to feedback. 

In this special episode, we focus on the power of mentoring to develop and empower women throughout the world. We will hear from Dr. Damaris Matoke-Muhia, who is an entomologist and a leader in the fight against malaria and other vector control diseases. Dr. Matoke-Muhia is passionate about identifying and mitigating gaps women face culturally in implementing community-based solutions to reduce malaria and in going into vector control research. Her story illustrates how one woman's courage to challenge a system has positively impacted the lives of women and children throughout Africa.

In this episode, Gloria Cotton, Senior Partner at inQUEST, offers a powerful strategy to address the fear or discomfort that often makes people resist having a courageous conversation. Gloria highlights how to move from having a courageous conversation to getting input from stakeholders to implement meaningful action that will make a positive difference. She also shares her best advice for leaders. 

On this episode, listen as Emily Koski, Senior Vice President | Diversity & Inclusion Manager talks about the importance of having crucial conversations and challenging corporate politics at work. Emily also talks about how her organization's leaders have authentic conversations on hard topics, and the role employee resource and focus groups have played to build a stronger corporate culture. 

In this episode, Fabio Miranda, Operations Director at Martin Brower - Brazil, talks about career planning and how to navigate various life changes. Fabio also talks about how he helped build and launch the DEI program at Martin Brower and how imperative his emotional intelligence skillset has been in leading his teams to success. 

In this episode, transition strategist Sue Ryan offers advice on how to intentionally navigate change and make transitions in your life with confidence. Sue uses the phrase massive acceptance and radical presence as a reminder of what is needed during times of change.  She highlights ways people can raise their emotional intelligence by raising their awareness. She also talks about The Caregiver's Journey program which she has developed for non-professional caregivers, and leaders who have caregivers on their team.   

In this Season 2 opening episode, Megan Cummings-Krueger and Solveig Brown reveal some of their favorite takeaways from Season 1. They highlight best practices that Season 1 guests shared related to Managing Up; change; communication; diversity, equity, and inclusion; holistic thinking; and wellness. 

This week's episode features a conversation with Jayne Heggen.  Drawing from her experience as a management consultant who helps companies and leaders transition through change, Jayne highlights the key elements needed to create successful change and employee support. She describes the motivations of the 4 generations in the workplace and offers tips for communicating effectively across an organization. Jayne also reveals the 3 most important skills a new manager must master and identifies 3 books that every leader should read. 

In this episode, Consultant and Executive Coach Jayne Heggen shares best practices for aligning your performance goals with your personal goals, core values, and life purpose. This is a crucial step in goal setting that many people overlook. Jayne offers strategic advice for effectively navigating the uncertainty of choosing the best path when you come to a crossroads in your career or life. She also shares her lifelong journey of moving back and forth between being a mentee and a mentor. 

In this episode, Nick Snoply shares with us how life challenges resulted in some of his greatest life learnings. There are many nuggets of wisdom offered in this conversation, beginning with a motivational speaker's equation which has served as a North Star for Nick:  Event + Response = Outcome.   In a time when things can feel out of control, the practice of narrowing our focus to what it is that we can control is both effective and empowering. Self-awareness, and building intentional habits, can positively impact how we view both situations, as well as ourselves. Nick shares many personal examples, including (i) how a self-proclaimed “raging introvert” was able to develop the ability to authentically flex as an extrovert; (ii) how reframing failure into potential opportunity allowed him to broaden his perspective as well as his career success; (iii) and what resulted when he stopped worrying about what others were doing and focused solely on what he was doing.

In this episode Executive Coach, Deborah Herrera talks about two pressing issues her clients have been dealing with during the past 6 months: confidence and burn-out. She walks us through simple strategies to be more confident in a variety of situations. Deborah describes the signs of burn-out that people often ignore and identifies what you can do to prevent burn-out. She also shares her best practices for influencing and delegating. You will also get to hear Deborah's “Feedback Formula,” a tried and true 3-step process for giving effective feedback. This episode is filled with actionable advice to help you “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams."