Smart People Think Podcast

Meet President and CEO of Birchtree Global, LLC – Dr. Janet L. Walsh. Dr. Walsh defines leadership as the ability to inspire a vision—to coach, educate, and guide others toward it. She leads with transparency, clear communication, and a deep belief in listening and helping others grow. In times of change, she believes in staying focused on the end goal while providing the support teams need to succeed. One of her guiding principles comes from President Gerald Ford: “Never be afraid to make a mistake.” For Dr. Walsh, it's about how you respond and what you learn that defines great leadership. A lifelong learner with a Doctorate, MBA, and Economics degree, she's passionate about research, language, and continuous growth. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, museums, and spending time with her dogs.

Meet the visionary and dynamic Founder and CEO of Luminary – Cate Luzio. Cate Luzio believes leadership starts with standing up for what you believe in—and for others. She values listening, trusting your talents, and finding your own leadership style while adapting to your audience. Cate encourages people not to second-guess themselves. You're in the role for a reason—own it, make the most of it, and be the best version of yourself. As a leader, you need to lead the change with honesty, clarity, and open dialogue. Guided by the mindset, “How do I want to be treated?” She does everything with intention and puts herself in the customer's shoes. A former athlete and passionate traveler who's visited 130+ countries, Cate finds inspiration in coaches, cultures, and communities around the world.

Dr. Jean Oursler believes leadership starts with you—understanding your strengths, identifying gaps, and continuously learning and growing. She knows that before you can motivate, inspire, and create a vision, you must first understand yourself. Guided by the philosophy, “I need to leave you better than I found you,” Dr. Jean leads with action, inspiring teams to find their own way to achieving goals while embracing challenges. With an ever-evolving mindset, Dr. Jean empowers individuals and organizations to learn, grow, and adapt to every new normal. She is a firm believer in coaching, mastermind groups, and accountability.

Meet Rebecca Osam, Managing Director of Bexx Group Ltd. Rebecca Osam leads Bexx Group Ltd. with a visionary approach, charting a clear path toward success while embracing innovation and adaptability. As the captain of her ship, she believes in the power of teamwork, open communication, and empathy, fostering a collaborative environment where her team thrives. Rebecca's dynamic and assertive leadership combines resilience, tenacity, and a deep understanding of human emotions to navigate challenges and create opportunities. Her work is her greatest passion, and she finds immense joy in creating, inspiring, and pushing boundaries. A champion for inspiring women and children through education, Rebecca is dedicated to making meaningful changes in the world.

Meet Manish Patel, CMO of SentryBay. Manish Patel leads with a strong vision, inspiring his teams through empathy and a shared sense of purpose. He believes leadership is rooted in trust, which is built by valuing and engaging individuals, empowering them to achieve collective goals. By celebrating small wins and embracing adaptability, Manish encourages innovation and resilience, equipping his teams to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. Manish deeply values empathy, integrity, and continuous growth. He continues to grow by updating his skills, staying ahead of trends, and participating in leadership development programs such as The Keep it Real™ Leadership program.

Meet Meryl Simmons, EOS Implementer at Outpace and Business Coach. Meryl Simmons champions a vision of unity and purpose. She believes trust is built through consistent, transparent actions and must be earned over time. Meryl ignites a sense of purpose within teams, empowering them to make decisions while fostering accountability. Her leadership style embraces clarity, adaptability, and resilience, enabling teams to navigate challenges quickly and confidently. By simplifying the complex and creating room for learning from mistakes, Meryl helps businesses align their goals with their vision and take ownership of their outcomes. She emphasizes the importance of “walking the walk” and ensuring that everyone in the organization is connected to the bigger picture.

Meet Alyssa Nolte, CEO of TruVue and Principal Consultant for Ology. Alyssa Nolte believes trust is built through a series of actions and is a natural byproduct of consistent, trustworthy behavior. She emphasizes that trust must be earned. Passionate about teamwork and collective success, she believes it's crucial to see the team performing at their highest level rather than relying on one superstar. Alyssa understands the importance of everyone comprehending the "why" behind the team's vision, which helps them align their goals with that vision and be held accountable. She values empathy in leadership and stresses the importance of intentional human-to-human connections, making an effort to understand where others are coming from.

Meet Rob Blasi, Partner and Chief People Officer at Riviera Dining Group. Rob believes that leaders must constantly evolve their leadership styles to stay effective. Passionate about education and development, he thrives on inspiring, motivating, and guiding individuals to grow into their next roles. One of his favorite quotes is, "Don't confuse leadership with power," reflecting his values of excellence, integrity, and consistency. Rob is always looking for innovative approaches to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. He emphasizes motivating his team through recognition, rewards, and continuous development opportunities like leadership training, new technology, and coaching. As a lifelong learner, Rob loves to read books and travel.

Meet Danielle Hughes, Chief Personality Officer for More Than Words Marketing, as she shares what inspires her to be a great leader. Danielle leads through action and inspires others to keep motivating themselves. She believes in the importance of capability, execution, and taking charge. Danielle's core values rest on honesty, being a truth-teller, loyalty, and authenticity, emphasizing that delivery matters as much as the message. Danielle embodies a growth mindset, driven by curiosity and continuous learning, and finds joy in diverse interests.

Meet Jason Cone, Chief Public Policy Officer at Robin Hood, as he shares what inspires him to be a great leader. Jason believes Leadership is about taking risks, finding yourself every day, and embracing change to lead through uncertainty. Jason talks about three critical components of leadership – Healing, Listening and Questioning, and how great leaders need great teams to lift each other up!

Welcome Joel Greenwald, ESQ, the Founder and Managing Partner of Greenwald Doherty LLP Counsel for Employers. Joel underscores the significance of decisiveness, leading by example, and effective communication, even in the face of necessary pivots. Over 26 years in business, he's faced numerous challenges but his approach has remained consistent: listen to people, gather information, and invest in self-growth.

Meet Jerry Gibson, Executive Director of Systems that Work, LLC. Jerry defines leadership as investing in PEOPLE! Lead your team with integrity, consistency, and honesty. Find a mentor and then be a mentor. Embrace mistakes, fuel continuous growth through learning, and master the art of mentorship. As a seasoned leader, he finds the biggest joy in empowering his team to succeed.

In this podcast episode, meet Brian Rowley, Chief Marketing Officer of BrightSign. Hear him talk about how Leaders must embrace empathy by revealing vulnerability, acknowledging the unseen, and including diverse perspectives. He emphasizes values like respect and fairness towards guiding a decision. He advises to focus on the controllable, give your 100%, and leave the rest to unfold gradually.

Meet Alexandra McDermott, International Book Publisher, Global Leader, and Motivational Coach at Pen Crown Publishing. As a leader, she emphasizes stepping into your power unapologetically and inspiring followership. Leadership transcends age or position—you can lead from any chair. Resilience and adaptability are the keys to converting challenges into opportunities.

Leadership is driven by a visionary mindset! Meet Suhaiba Neill, Founder of The Full Circle. Suhaiba talks about how leaders are essential support systems, providing guidance to businesses, teams, employees, customers, and vendors. They inspire big dreams! Effective leaders prioritize security, honesty, and clarity for their employees and maintain consistency in their actions. Adaptability and Learning are the keys to avoiding being left behind.

Leadership is not a title or position; It is a Behavior! Meet Carrie Graham, PhD, CEO of Learning Strategist talk about taking a humanistic approach towards building trust. Her advice is to take initiative, do your best and try to support your team members with love, compassion, and empathy. Always be kind to yourself, for it is an essential part of your journey toward becoming a leader!

FAIL FAST. Decide and keep moving forward. What an inspiring mantra! Hear Colonel Lisa M. Carroll, from the U.S. Air Force talk about how Leaders need to let go of their fear of failing and make decisions fast. To grow as a leader, you need to observe and learn, and provide honest feedback to your people. Inspire them to pursue excellence and appropriate behavior that will lead to overall growth.

Meet Dr. Lauren Petrea, Executive Director, Talent Acquisition Aldine Independent School District. Dr. Lauren talks about the importance of building a relationship with the “person” and not just the employee. Every action a leader takes can motivate or disengage the team. Leadership is about influencing others – positive and negative! The key is to listen, motivate, and encourage your team wherever possible.

Meet Kimberly O'Shields, President and CEO of Continuum Solutions. Kimberly shares her experience launching her business during the Pandemic and making quick adjustments to keep it going. Hear how she has been able to blend her engineering background with her love of wellness to create Continuum Solutions.

Meet Tom Principe, Founder and CEO of SalesSXess. As a leader, Tom values listening, understanding, and leveraging the strengths and competencies of his team members to build their confidence. Learn about his Rule of 3's that has helped him focus on his people and become a trusted leader.

Meet Nishita Roy-Pope, Founder & CEO of WorldRoo & Tribe Academy. Listen to Nishita talk about how empathy, courage and integrity can empower you to unlock your talent and become the best version of yourself! Nishita's advice: teach others, empower others, equip others. And always pay it forward. Enjoy listening to the podcast!

Meet Wei-Li, Founder of Culture Playbook Partners. Learn how Wei-Li talks about bringing your “whole self” to work and allowing people to see your authenticity. Creating a culture built on empathy and engagement can drive performance in your organization. Enjoy listening!

Learn how Karen adapts her leadership style to reach people where they are and why flexibility is so important in leading today's continually evolving organizations.

Jessica Oliveira-Haddad, Senior Vice President of UC TFC at Cayuga Centers. Learn how Jessica inspires and empowers her team members, and why it's so important for leaders to respect differences and recognize a diversity of opinions.

Our latest Let's TAWK Leadership podcast features Carrie Krehlik, Chief HR Officer, Global Blood Therapeutics. Learn about what Carrie calls the “layers of leadership,” what happens when employees feel heard, and why it's so important for leaders to find and leverage their trusted advisors.

Sandra James, CEO, Private Eyes Background Checks. Learn how Sandra empowers her team to be effective and to participate in the growth of the organization.

Wendy Richards, CEO, MarTel Advisors. Wendy shares how she creates an environment of learning and curiosity that allows team members to explore, innovate, and risk failure. Learn how she inspires people to do their best.

Our latest Let's TAWK Leadership podcast features Benjamin Warsinke, Founder, BrandedWorld. Learn about the model of leadership he uses to create an environment of learning and curiosity and to help his team members thrive.

Our latest Let's TAWK Leadership podcast features Lynette Hoy, Founder and CEO, Firetalker PR. Hear why she believes in “PR with HEART,” and what more than 200 C-suite execs have told her is the common threat to business.

Check out our latest Let's TAWK Leadership podcast where PeopleThink Founder Karen Colligan is our interviewee. Yes, we've turned the tables! In this animated conversation with her long-time colleague Mike Mansbach, Karen talks about leadership and values, the importance of remaining curious, and how she finds joy. Take a listen and brighten your day!

Tune into our latest Let's TAWK Leadership podcast featuring Christina Crowley, SVP, Dell Technologies. Learn how Christina has transformed businesses through intellectual curiosity, aligning decision-making with her values, and creating a motivating and supportive work environment.

Tune into the latest Let's TAWK Leadership podcast episode, featuring Charles T. Moses, dean of the University of San Francisco School of Management. Dean Moses discusses how he works to bring out the best in people by being a good listener and a catalyst for ideas and action. Learn what it means to be a Leader as Host versus a Leader as Hero.

John Kane, Head of Commercial Training and Development at Sun Pharma. John shares his thoughts on leadership as a journey and why it's so important for leaders to put their self-interest aside and demonstrate a genuine interest in others.

Anne Devereaux-Mills shares her journey from multiple CEO roles in the world of advertising to founding a diverse global network of over 10,000 women for conversations and connections. Learn how she's built strong teams and organizations by creating safe spaces to try and fail, and by embracing and leveraging differences.

Our latest Let's TAWK Leadership podcast features Eva Zauke, SVP, Global Head of SAP Enterprise Adoption. Learn what Eva considers to be the 3 dimensions of leadership and why growth and comfort cannot co-exist!

Check out our latest Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast with Matt Marshall, Chief Revenue Officer at Spiff, Inc., a sales commission software company. Matt describes how being authentic and focusing on the “why” helps him serve as a calm and confident beacon for his team. Learn why it’s so important to take care of your people and to lead with empathy.

Tune into our latest Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast with Beatrice Zatorska, co-founder and CEO of SmartTribe – where people in academia and industry meet. Beatrice describes how she learned (“the hard way”) the difference between being a manager and being a leader. Learn why she thinks it’s so important for leaders to have integrity, humility and courage.

Our latest Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast features Elizabeth Cholawsky, CEO of HG Insights, a data and application company. Elizabeth describes how focus, momentum, and consistent communication have helped her successfully lead organizations through change. Learn the importance of speaking truth to power and find out what she means by “the art is to hide the art.”

In our latest Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast, Renee Fink, CEO of ClearPath Workforce Management, describes why being a strong role model is so important in creating a work culture of mutual trust and respect. Learn how her value of team and their ideas and expertise has contributed to organizational success.

Listen to Ben Levy, Founder of Sell It Great, describe why it’s so important for leaders to remove roadblocks and provide educational steppingstones and mentorship to their teams. Learn how he wrangles the twin demons – time and resources – to ensure his people have what they need to operate at their highest level.

Tune in to our latest Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast featuring Patti Clarke, Global Chief Talent Officer at Havas Group. Patti shares why the best leaders today lead with integrity, authenticity, and empathy. Plus, how Havas is building a culture of inclusivity and preparing tomorrow’s leaders.

Listen to Veronica Goei, Executive Director of Grail Family Services, a nonprofit that has been serving families with young children for more than 20 years. Learn how Veronica’s dynamic approach to leadership and focus on quality have significantly expanded the organization’s reach and strengthened its impact.

Join us for a Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast conversation with Jennifer Vessels, CEO and Chief Consultant, Next Step. Learn how Jennifer leverages self-awareness to set the vision, navigate change, and adapt to today’s ever-changing work environment.

In our latest Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast, Mike Cloutier, Founding Partner at Accelera Canada, discusses how great leaders use both their head and their heart in making tough decisions. Learn why it’s so important for leaders to stay curious and keep learning. The leadership journey is never complete!

Tune in to our latest Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast with Drew Hagen, Co-founder of InVision, and learn how InVision’s culture of opportunity and openness helps employees, clients, and the business be successful. Learn why it’s so important for leaders to care about the growth of others.

Susan tells us why perfectionism is debilitating and it is okay to not have all the answers. Leaders need to stay connected to team members and recognize each individual is unique and has different leadership needs. Invest in people’s growth and let your team know you believe in them and their expertise.

Amy draws on her experience as a sailor and a critical care nurse to demonstrate how risk taking, collaboration and continuous learning have informed her leadership style. Let us not forget the importance of vulnerability and humility to keep us grounded. Amy tells us why she believes leadership is all about compassionate truth telling.

Mike Mansbach will make the connection between leadership and being a husband and father. He will discuss how we must be relentless in our self-reflection and evolution. It is up to us to own our purpose and create our path to achieve our purpose.

Listen to Alta Brink discuss the importance of leading by example and being true to yourself. Allowing team members to know it is okay to fail, as long as they learn from the experience and continue to move forward and grow is one of Alta’s core leadership ethos.

Michael Martin, the co-founder of Avenue 8, discusses the similarities of being a great leader and being a great chef. From selecting ingredients right through the customer experience. You won’t think of leadership in the same way again!

Karen Colligan, PeopleThink interviews Suchi Gupta, the Founder and Creative Director of Pure Design Solution. Suchi talks about how important it is for a leader to be calm under pressure while embracing and adapting to our changing environment.