Becoming Unshakable With Heather R. Younger
Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about staying steady when you don't. Becoming Unshakable is about how we actually do it—staying credible, human, and grounded when the stakes are high and the playbook is gone. Through honest conversations with executives, frontline leaders, and people carrying real responsibility, Heather examines how leaders navigate change, build trust, and care for themselves and others without losing authority or effectiveness. This isn't about grit or powering through. It's about strengthening the inner steadiness that allows leaders and the organizations they're part of to function, adapt, and move forward, even when the ground is shifting.
Episodes
Have you ever looked at the person you were becoming and realized you no longer recognized yourself?
Jane Grote Abell grew up inside Donatos Pizza, the family business her father founded with a belief that business could be built on love. After the company was sold to McDonald's, however, Jane found herself working under a leadership style that gradually caused her to operate from fear.
She be...
What does it really take to become unshakeable when life forces you to confront your own mortality?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakeable, I welcome longtime friend, innovation leader, author, and Sustainovation founder Nick Kittle for a deeply personal conversation about resilience, self-leadership, relationships, and what it means to live differently after a life-changing experience.
At 35...
What if the biggest thing holding you back is not failure, but uncertainty?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I explore what I call the Tax of Corporate Uncertainty, the hidden emotional and mental cost we all pay when we delay decisions, avoid difficult conversations, or wait for the "perfect" moment to act. Whether it is in our careers, relationships, finances, or personal growth, uncertainty has a...
What if the strongest leaders are not the ones who keep bouncing back, but the ones who learn how to remain steady when the pressure never stops?
In this special solo episode of Becoming Unshakable, I'm sharing some news that means so much to me: my new book, The Unshakable Team: How Top Leaders Sustain Excellence When the Pressure Never Stops, is officially available for pre-order. But this episode is ab...
What if becoming unshakable requires being shaken first?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I welcome Artesha Moore for a candid conversation about discomfort, failure, grief, identity, and the lifelong process of learning who you are beneath the armor you built to survive.
Artesha believes you cannot understand resilience without experiencing moments that test everything you thought you ...
Have you ever stopped to consider that the missing ingredient in sustainable excellence isn't working harder, but recovering better?In this solo episode of Becoming Unshakable, I explore one of the most overlooked aspects of leadership and personal resilience: intentional recovery. We often celebrate relentless effort, packed calendars, and constant availability, but what if those habits are quietly limiting our abilit...
What helps you keep moving forward when life or work feels harder than you expected?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I'm joined by Wendy-Jo Toyama, CEO of the American Epilepsy Society, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, resilience, and the moments that shape who we become. Wendy shares how a difficult chapter in her career forced her to rethink what leadership looked like and why tryi...
What does it take to stay steady when life, leadership, and uncertainty seem determined to pull you in every direction? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Phillip W. Heath, President and CEO of Samaritan Health Care and Hospice, to explore a career built on service, compassion, and resilience. Having dedicated more than three decades to caring for vulnerable populations, Phillip shares why leadersh...
What happens when the life you planned disappears in an instant? And where do you find the strength to keep moving when everything familiar has been taken away?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I welcome John Register, whose life story offers a remarkable perspective on resilience, leadership, and the power of adapting to circumstances beyond our control. As a world-class athlete, Army officer, and ...
What happens when surviving cancer as a newborn, enduring a stroke in your 30s, and facing emergency open-heart surgery becomes the foundation for a life lived with purpose, perspective, and courage?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with my friend Mikki Gates, a TEDx speaker, executive leader, advocate, and someone whose story will stay with you long after this conversation ends.
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What if the moments that feel like detours in your life are actually leading you exactly where you need to be?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Frankie Hamilton for a conversation about resilience, career pivots, self-discovery, and learning to trust your own path, even when it looks nothing like the one you originally planned. Frankie shares his remarkable journey from aspiring doct...
What actually makes us feel safe when everything around us feels uncertain?
In this solo episode of the Becoming Unshakable podcast, I reflect on a conversation that's showing up everywhere right now, inside organizations, leadership circles, employee focus groups, and even in our personal lives. Change fatigue is real. Uncertainty is exhausting. And somewhere along the way, many of us were taught that res...
What does it really mean to lead with authenticity in a world that constantly pressures us to fit a mold? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Aileen Warren, President and CEO of ICAN, for a deeply honest conversation about values, identity, mentorship, and the courage it takes to stay true to yourself through every season of life and leadership.
Aileen shares the experiences that shaped...
What do you do when the noise around you starts becoming noise inside you too?
In this solo episode of the Becoming Unshakable podcast, I open up about something I think many leaders, parents, teammates, and professionals are quietly carrying right now, emotional overload.
The constant pressure, uncertainty, competing demands, and invisible tension can leave us reacting instead of respon...
Could the way we measure contributions at work miss the very things that make people most valuable?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Jacob D. Chase to discuss pressure, performance, leadership, and the human side of data. Jacob's journey takes us from Wall Street and hedge funds to entrepreneurship and people-centered performance, where he began asking a question many leaders struggl...
Have you ever convinced yourself that strength means handling everything on your own?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with the incredible Crystal Washington, Hall of Fame speaker, futurist, and someone whose wisdom always leaves a lasting mark. From walking away from corporate America after recognizing social media would change everything, to building a thriving business and becoming one...
Why do some days feel heavier than others, even when nothing obvious has changed?
In this solo episode of Becoming Unshakable, I speak directly to those moments when everything feels like a struggle. The days when motivation is low, your energy is off, and you quietly question whether you are doing enough, or even moving in the right direction. I share an honest reflection on what it means to keep going wh...
What does it really take to stay steady when everything around you feels uncertain?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakeable, I sit down with Kisha Wynter, an executive coach and former GE leader, to explore what steadiness actually looks like in real life. Not the polished version of leadership we often see on the surface, but the kind that is built through self-awareness, difficult personal moments, and a...
What does it really take to build trust in a world where skepticism feels like the default setting?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Scott Trumpolt to unpack what trust actually looks like in practice, beyond the buzzwords and surface-level statements. Scott shares a clear perspective on why transparency alone is not enough, and how honest dialogue, even when uncomfortable, becomes t...
What kind of energy do you bring into the room when your team needs you most?
In this solo episode of Becoming Unshakable, I shared a moment from my leadership journey that challenged how I show up for others. During a period of change, I allowed my own emotional response to lead the interaction, and I could see how quickly that energy spread across the team. It was a powerful reminder that leadership is f...
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