Gut + Science

Leadership is not loudest when it gives orders. Sometimes, it sounds like a mayor sitting in a neighborhood meeting, listening long enough to hear what the city actually needs.

Katherine sits down with Greg Ballard, author, businessman, former Marine, and the 48th mayor of Indianapolis, to explore the leadership habits that shaped his journey from the Marine Corps...

What happens when marketing stops chasing tactics and starts building systems that actually scale?

Nikki sits down with CMO and growth leader Breanne Byrne to unpack what it really takes to build a marketing and growth function that evolves with your business and your people.

Breanne shares her five-phase department maturity m...

What happens when workplace culture stops being a program and starts becoming a pattern of connection? Nikki sits down with Dr. Iain Smith, Head of Behavioral Science at Sunny, to unpack why connection is not just a nice-to-have at work, but the foundation for meaningful, sustainable performance.

Together, they explore why culture is better understood through beha...

Ever felt like your calendar is running your life instead of the other way around?

Nikki and David tackle the ultimate challenge: protecting your time before it slips away. They get real about the pain of saying "yes" when you should've said "hell no," the stress of back-to-back meetings that could've been emails, and the guilt of letting your true priorities, fam...

What does it really mean to lead with purpose when lives, communities, and futures are on the line? Katherine sits down with Courtney Roberts, President and CEO of the Riley Children's Foundation, to explore how storytelling, empathy, and bold vision can transform leadership into a force for lasting impact.

Courtney shares her journey from small town curiosity and...

Your story is not just your past. It is your leadership currency.

Nikki sits down with Cristian Cibils Bernardes, founder and CEO of Autograph, to explore the powerful connection between storytelling, identity, and meaningful work. Cristian shares his journey from Paraguay to Stanford, Google, and ultimately entrepreneurship, revealing how a personal quest to unde...

Leadership today moves fast. New technology, new generations, and constant change can leave leaders chasing the next shiny object. But leadership coach Kate Karre believes the real advantage isn't having all the answers, it's learning how to ask the right questions.

Nikki sits down with Kate to explore how coaching helps leaders build self-awareness, challenge lim...

What makes a simple branded mug, sweatshirt, or handwritten note unforgettable? Nikki welcomes promotional strategy expert Crissy Manwaring for a fascinating conversation on the deeper psychology behind swag and why meaningful brand experiences matter more than ever.

Together, Nikki and Crissy unpack the science of sensory triggers, emotional connection, and thoug...

Grief doesn't clock out when we clock in.

Nikki sits down with Ashley Jones, founder of Memento Foundation and grief and empathy consultant, to explore what happens when loss walks into the workplace. After navigating the unimaginable loss of her daughter, Ashley turned her pain into purpose, helping organizations lead through grief with courage, care, and emotion...

If your company treats technology like the hero and people like the afterthought, it may not survive the next decade.

Nikki sits down with Ferry Hoes, founder of Brand Humanizing, to challenge the way leaders think about AI, automation, and innovation. Ferry shares a bold warning: organizations that fail to align humans and technology will quietly lose their peopl...

Have you ever unraveled over a one word email? Or spiraled because someone "saw" your message but didn't respond?

Katherine dives into the invisible signals shaping today's workplace: digital body language. Inspired by Erica Dhawan's work and Katherine's real world leadership experience, this conversation explores how response time, punctuation, brevity, silence, ...

The results you're seeing today are a direct reflection of seeds you planted long ago, and if that hits a nerve, this episode is for you.

Nikki and David are getting real about the wild truth that what you plant is what you get. From the legendary patience it takes to grow a Chinese bamboo tree to the behind-the-scenes grind of podcasting and showing up as your be...

There's a level of leadership most people never access, not because it's hidden, but because it requires going inward first.

Nikki sits down with transformational leadership expert Carrie Moore to explore a powerful truth: your vibration is your currency. Drawing from neuroscience, quantum mechanics, and executive leadership, Carrie explains how the energy you bri...

What if courage wasn't something you either had or didn't, but something you could build?

Nikki and David open up about the real journey of courage, not as a Hollywood moment, but as a daily practice. From David's vulnerability in asking for help after a major injury, to Nikki's story of taking the stage during the emotional turbulence of divorce, they strip coura...

What happens when clarity, belief, and intention collide? You get a leadership framework so simple it's unforgettable, literally, it's the ABCs.

Nikki is joined by JM Ryerson, coach, speaker, and founder of Let's Go Win, to unpack the "ABCs" of transformational leadership: Align, Believe, and Choose. Together, they explore how alignment creates a cultural backbone...

What if HR's true power isn't just policies and programs, but its position as a strategic driver of culture and communication?

Katherine sits down with Ashima Kapur, Chief People Officer at Allied Solutions, to explore the leadership mindsets and behaviors that drive sustainable growth. From growing Allied from 500 to nearly 2,000 employees to building an HR funct...

What if the real secret to building leaders, not followers, was simply honesty paired with care?

Nikki sits down with Steve Sorenson, Senior Director Learning and Culture at Johnsonville, to explore a leadership model rooted in humble candor, empowerment, and intentional coaching. Known for replacing "managers" with "coaches" and fostering autonomy through framewo...

What if the secret to better leadership isn't about doing more, but being more human?

In this episode of Work Doesn't Work (Anymore), Dr. Ryan Darby sits down with leadership expert and founder of Brain Squared Leadership Solutions, Laurie Cozart. With over 10,000 individuals and 500 teams coached, Laurie brings deep insights on how leaders can thrive in today's c...

What if the most overlooked group in your workplace holds the key to retention, loyalty, and a truly people-first culture?

Nikki is joined by Paul Sullivan, former New York Times columnist and founder of The Company of Dads. Paul shares the deeply personal story behind his mission to elevate and support "lead dads," the primary caregivers often overlooked in corpo...