Unlocked With Skot Waldron

Stuck? Good. That means you're ready. Ashley Jablow shares how getting laid off became the best "career gift" she never wanted, and how she turned that crash into clarity.

We talk about discovering who you are now, designing instead of fixing your life, and why "reinvention" beats "midlife crisis" every time. Ashley breaks down her Four Steps of Life Design, Discover, Define, Imagine, Iterate, and how micro-steps can pull you out o...

Think flow is just a "zone" for athletes and artists? Gaëlle Devins says it's survival for leaders. Forget chasing perks, employees don't want ping pong tables. They want to be seen, valued, and led by someone who actually knows their own emotions.

In this episode, we unpack why yodeling (yes, yodeling) is a leadership lesson, how twins + bedrest turned into a corporate framework, and why flow is more than KPIs… it's people, purpos...

Fruit baskets don't cure burnout. Neither do yoga apps. Dr. Richard Safeer explains why most wellness programs flop, and how leaders can build cultures of health that actually stick. He shares why well-being belongs in the strategic plan, not the suggestion box, and how six building blocks – peer support, leadership engagement, connection points, norms, values, and social climate – turn good intentions into everyday behaviors.

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This episode of Thoughts Unlocked dives into why trust is the hidden driver behind every successful team and culture. From balancing warmth and competence to the micro-moments that either strengthen or erode credibility, you'll hear practical ways leaders can create psychological safety, rebuild broken trust, and foster collaboration that feels effortless instead of forced. If you want a team that's engaged, innovative, and aligned...

Think Gen Z is a headache? Tim Elmore says they're actually the sandpaper your leadership didn't know it needed. One minute they're flying with pixie dust, the next they're struggling with "adulting." That's the Peter Pan paradox.

In this episode, we dig into why authority today comes from a bridge, not a badge. Why Gen Z hops jobs like lily pads. And why the secret to keeping them isn't perks, it's relationships and trust. Tim unp...

Ever feel like you're living someone else's script? Jillian Reilly is here to hand you The Ten Permissions, a gutsy, practical roadmap to step out of the box and into your own life. We cover permission to be willful (want what you actually want), how to reframe failure from "I am" to "I can", and why leaders don't need all the answers, just the guts to ask better questions. Jillian shows how to admit & commit without shame, why thi...

If your wellness plan feels like another to-do list, you're losing. Brian Von Ancken shows how to design health that actually sticks. We dig into the big three: Community, Nature, Movement, and why behavior change beats vanity metrics every time. You'll hear how to move from programs to systems, where AI, data ethics, and simple archetypes help leaders serve people at scale. The goal isn't perfection. It's repeatable wins that comp...

Leadership is changing – and women are leading the charge. Don Barden breaks down why female leadership is redefining success across industries (and why that's a very good thing). From boardrooms to startups, collaboration is replacing competition, empathy is replacing ego, and results are skyrocketing.

We unpack why female-led companies outperform, the "Goodyear & Firestone" moment every business faces before disruption, and how s...

Avoiding feedback to "protect" trust? Bad news. You're breaking it.

In this episode, Jeff Hancher hands you the playbook for turning hard talks into trust-building wins. His expectations + feedback + accountability framework takes the mystery out of feedback and replaces it with results.

You'll learn why being effective beats being right and how a few smart habits can flip your culture from stressed to strong. If you want to keep y...

Think frustration is just anger? Think again. In this episode, Andrew Oxley breaks down the Four Faces of Frustration (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue) and hands you a simple filter for leading when emotions get loud. You'll discover why self-diagnosing under stress rarely works, how to run the people vs. task and speed up vs. slow down tests, and the one question every leader needs to ask: "What's it like to be on the other side of you?"...

Younger generations aren't "the problem", but misunderstanding them might be.

In this conversation with pathfinding coach Hillary Spiritos, we unpack why older leaders and younger employees keep talking past each other… and how to bridge that gap. If you've ever been frustrated by "lack of loyalty" or felt like you had to follow a career path you didn't choose, this episode is for you.

Hillary helps young adults define success on t...