Yes, And! With Avish Parashar

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Candace "Candy" Campbell - nurse, actor, filmmaker, and international speaker - to talk about improv, healthcare, and what it really takes to communicate courageously in high-stakes environments.

Candy's journey is wild and inspiring. She started with a degree in acting and was headed for New York… until a disturbing "casting couch" moment made her walk away from the pr...

When everything feels messy, most leaders reach for more tactics and more meetings. In this conversation, I sit down with Maartje van Krieken - engineer, skipper, crisis strategist, and host of The Business Emergency Room Podcast - to talk about how to triage chaos, make cleaner decisions, and realign people and processes without burning everyone out. We cover her "coat rack" process metaphor, the emotional side of cha...

In this conversation with change-management expert April Callis-Birchmeier (CCMP™, PMP®, CSP®), we unpack her R.E.A.D.Y. framework from her READY, Set, Change! Book and framework and translate it into practical moves you can make this quarter. We cover how to turn corporate buzzwords into relevant, relatable stories, why one accountable executive sponsor changes everything, what "just send an email" thinking gets wrong...

I sat down with keynote speaker, leadership trainer, and singer-songwriter Rachel Druckenmiller to explore what it really means to live and work UNMUTED. Rachel shares how she invented roles inside a corporate job, navigated a near-career-ending pivot right before the pandemic, and eventually brought her voice - literally - onto the keynote stage. We talk about borrowing others' belief when your own is shaky, her V.O.I...

In this episode, I sit down with Scott Cooksey, CSP, founder of Leadout Performance Group, to talk about building teams that can adapt and win, especially when the plan meets reality.

Scott explains why most "one-and-done" trainings fail, how to diagnose the real problem behind symptoms like conflict, and how leaders can modernize their playbook for a world reshaped by COVID and AI. 

We cover ...

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with fellow improviser and change-maker Kathy Klotz-Guest. Kathy's career path is anything but boring. She went from being a rare female leader in Silicon Valley tech to blending her love of improv and comedy into transformational work with corporate teams.

We talk about her journey, the power of "yes, and" in leading change, why vulnerability and ho...

I had a blast talking with Jan Spence, a Certified Speaking Professional and TEDx speaker whose journey from professional women's full‑tackle football to international keynote speaker is unforgettable. Jan shares how turning a sea of competitors into teammates through simple encouragement sparked her "Cheer Leadership®" philosophy. We dive into actionable tools - from 'putting on that Teflon raincoat' to overcoming fea...

In this episode, I connect with my old friend Nye Warburton, someone I've known since our  college improv‑comedy days. Nye's journey has taken him from animating features like Monster House and Battleship to chairing an Interactive Design & Game Development department of a college and writing provocative essays about AI, blockchain, and creative technology. We talk about the pressures of entertainment, how to treat unc...

What if the chaos and uncertainty in your life could become the very fuel that propels you forward?

In this episode, resilience and adaptability expert Kim Becking shares her powerful Unstoppable Momentum™ framework for navigating change with grit, grace, and purpose. A stage-3 breast ca...

I had the privilege of sitting down with longtime friend and Hollywood veteran, Riaz Patel. Trained in psychology at UPenn and raised in a world where he was rarely the "norm," Riaz has built a career around authentic transformation - first on TV, and now live onstage. In this episode, we dive into:

• His creative process behind TV hits like How to Look ...
  

In this episode, I talk with Penny Zenker—the Focusologist—about her Reset Mindset approach. We dive into what exactly a reset moment is, explore her three‑step framework (Step Back, Get Perspective, Realign), and apply it to everyday life—from emotional triggers to workplace pivots. Penny also breaks down how to ask powerful questions like "What else?" to shift thinking, how to scale reset practices, and why it matter...

In this episode of Yes, And with Avish Parashar, I sit down with Greg Satell—author of Cascades and Mapping Innovation, and a leading voice on evidence-based change management. We dive deep into why traditional change methods often backfire, the science of how change actually spreads, and how leaders can spark transformational change by starting small, building momentum, and leading with shared values.

Gre...

In this episode of Yes, And with Avish Parashar, I'm joined by Toni Thomas from Challenger, Gray & Christmas to explore a topic that doesn't get nearly enough attention: offboarding.

While onboarding gets the red carpet treatment, too often the way people exit an organization is abrupt, impersonal, and damaging — to them and to the company. Toni shares why offboarding is more than collecting a laptop and ...

This week is my birthday—I'm turning 52! And to mark the occasion, I'm sharing something a little different: 52 things I would tell my 22-year-old self.

Over the years, I've made a lot of mistakes, learned a ton, and picked up a bunch of insights that would've helped me back when I was just starting out. In this fast-paced, fun solo episode, I share all 52 lessons—from career advice to dopamine management,...

In this episode, I sit down with one of my oldest friends and longtime ExxonMobil leader, Alexander Bolkhovsky, for a deep dive into leadership, motivation, and navigating organizational change. Over his 27-year career with ExxonMobil, Alex has held roles across engineering, technology, sales, and global strategy. But more than the titles, it's his mindset—curious, adaptable, and people-first—that makes him a standout.
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In this episode, I talk with Andrew Tarvin, a longtime friend and fellow improv enthusiast who has built a fascinating career at the intersection of humor and engineering. Andrew shares his journey from computer science to comedy, what it really means to be a "Humor Engineer," and how he helps individuals and organizations use humor more intentionally.

We dig into the idea that humor isn't just for class c...

In this episode of Yes, And with Avish Parashar, I sit down with creativity expert Melissa Dinwiddie. Melissa shares her journey from a Juilliard-trained dancer to a professional artist and creativity instigator. She introduces us to her Create the Impossible framework, which helps individuals and teams harness the power of play, take risks, and learn from failure to spark innovation. Melissa emphasizes that it's not a...

In this episode, I chat with Sarah Ohanesian, a productivity expert and the founder of SO Productive. Sarah dives into the concept of purpose-driven productivity, helping us rethink how we manage our time and energy in both our personal and professional lives. She also shares her work around neurodiversity, a topic that's been gaining much-needed attention in the workplace. Whether you're leading a team or trying to fi...

In this episode of Yes, And with Avish Parashar, I sit down with Greg Offner, a former dueling piano performer turned keynote speaker, to talk about his unique approach to leadership, employee engagement, and preventing burnout. Greg's philosophy, highlighted in his book The Tip Jar Culture, draws from his background in music to create an experience where managers lead with a servant mindset, helping their teams thrive...