The Inner Edge: Leadership, Self-Mastery, and Reinvention for a New Era

Have you ever noticed that your biggest insights rarely show up when you’re forcing yourself to figure something out? They arrive in the shower, on a walk, in the quiet moments between all the doing. They come when your mind finally slows down enough for something deeper to surface. 

In today’s episode of The Inner Edge, Janet explores this “higher wisdom” we all have access to but rarely create space to hear.

Drawing from neuroscien...

So often in our daily interactions—at work, at home, and even with strangers—we slip into automatic judgment without even noticing it. In this episode of The Inner Edge, Janet invites you to pause before reacting and explore one of the most quietly transformative leadership practices available to all of us: choosing curiosity instead of judgment.

Drawing from her bicultural upbringing in Greece and the United States, Janet shares ho...

What can the people we’ve lost teach us about who we become? And how do their everyday choices—often unnoticed in the moment—shape our leadership, our values, and the way we show up in the world?

In this heartfelt conversation, Ian Ziskin returns to The Inner Edge to share the deeply personal journey that inspired his new collaborative book, Lives Lost and Leadership Found: Lessons from Special Somebodies. After losing both his brot...

When was the last time you truly saw someone, not for what made them different, but for the human being underneath?

In this deeply personal solo episode, Janet shares a childhood story that shaped her lifelong perspective on inclusion, empathy, and what it really means to lead with humanity.

Janet explores how neuroscience forms the lens through which we see others—and how, as adults and leaders, we can either perpetuate exclusion or...

In this solo episode, Janet Ioli explores what it really means to lead when everything around you feels like it’s shifting and uncertain. Instead of trying to eliminate the storm, she invites you to learn how to become the beacon—steady, grounded, and intentional—so others can orient themselves by your light.

Drawing from real coaching conversations, leadership psychology, and her signature grounded wisdom, Janet offers a powerful r...

When everything around us feels uncertain, divided, and loud, true leadership doesn’t come from reacting; it comes from grounding. 

In this solo episode, Janet explores what it really means to cultivate presence and self-mastery when the world feels incomprehensible and brittle.

She shares how our human wiring pulls us toward defensiveness and chaos, and why our greatest act of leadership is to choose steadiness instead. Through prac...

We all crave to be seen, valued, and needed. And yet, so many people in today’s workplaces feel invisible. 

In this deeply human conversation, Janet talks with Dr. Zach Mercurio, author of The Power of Mattering, about why the greatest crisis in leadership isn’t disengagement or burnout, it’s a mattering deficit. 

Zach shares research-backed insights on how leaders can help others feel significant through small, intentional interacti...

We often talk about strategy, charisma, and competence when we talk about leadership. But what about character? 

In this powerful solo episode, Janet Ioli dives into the often-ignored foundation of true leadership—character—and why it’s time we bring it back into focus.

Through honest reflection and real-world observation, Janet explores how our collective erosion of respect, honesty, and decency has created a crisis of leadership. S...

What if the real work of women in leadership isn’t about playing the part, but rewriting the entire script?

In this solo episode, Janet explores the deep inner tension that women leaders experience as they navigate cultural expectations of femininity and leadership strength. Through her own story of being cast as Aphrodite instead of Athena in a childhood play, Janet uncovers how these archetypes still shape women’s experiences at w...

We’ve all heard the advice: “You need to build your brand.” But what happens when branding feels fake—or worse, like a performance? 

In this episode of The Inner Edge, Janet shares a deeply personal story about her own journey with “branding” advice that clashed with her values, and how it led her to redefine what a personal brand truly is.

This episode will challenge you to think beyond polished images and formulaic marketing strate...

When life delivers unimaginable heartbreak, how do you keep leading, showing up, and holding on to yourself?

In this tender and deeply human episode, Janet speaks with Lauren Stevens, a respected executive and former client, who lost her husband Chuck to glioblastoma after 19 months of courageous fighting. In the midst of grief and devastation, Lauren has had to keep leading her organization, caring for her daughter, and learning ho...

If your body could hand you a report card right now, what grade would you get?

In this solo episode, Janet shines a light on a truth we often push to the bottom of our priority lists: our health. High-achievers may believe their brilliance and productivity keep them in the game, but the reality is that the body—the container carrying it all—is what makes that brilliance possible.

With her signature warmth and honesty, Janet shares bo...

Do you ever feel like you’re running on fumes? Too exhausted, busy, and overwhelmed to even think about how you’re showing up as a leader? 

In this episode of The Inner Edge, Janet Ioli explores why your leadership presence isn’t something to “get to later,” but rather the very thing that transforms how you spend your time, your energy, and your life.

Through a powerful story from a recent executive program, Janet shares the all-too-...

At some point in life, every one of us faces a moment of reckoning, the quiet knock inside that tells us we’ve outgrown a role, a title, or even an identity we’ve carried for years. In this episode of The Inner Edge, Janet explores the courage it takes to let go of who you’ve been to step into the person you’re becoming.

Janet shares her own deeply personal story of moving from a successful corporate career into a new chapter as a c...

What happens when you step away from a senior corporate title and go out on your own? Ian Ziskin shares the emotional inner‑work and tough questions behind making the transition from CHRO to Executive Advisor and Consultant.

In this episode, Janet and Ian explore what it really takes to move beyond the “golden handcuffs” of corporate life into a self-led, flexible, and purpose-driven chapter. From building credibility in a crowded s...

What happens when decades of experience no longer seem to be valued? When you're quietly dismissed, overlooked, or labeled a "blocker"—despite still having the fire, brilliance, and drive? In this powerful solo episode, Janet Ioli names what so many leaders over 50 are silently feeling: the creeping sense of invisibility in organizations that prize what's new and shiny over what’s wise and seasoned.

You’ll hear r...

If you’ve ever thought about making a change—starting something new, going back to school, or following a dream you’ve quietly tucked away—only to hear the voice in your head say, “Nah… It’s too late,” this episode is for you.

In this deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Janet shares a story that shook her out of that ‘It’s too late’ mindset. In this story, you’ll meet a remarkable 96-year-old man whose life choices challenge...

We live in a world that bombards us with advice, hacks, tips, and strategies for doing life and leadership “better.” But what if the real answer isn’t more information, but more space?

In this raw and soul-touching solo episode, Janet opens a new chapter of The Inner Edge podcast. She invites us into a more honest conversation about what it means to lead and live with our whole selves, especially when the outer performance doesn’t r...

Are You Ready to Stop Performing Success and Start Living It?

If you're an executive experiencing leadership burnout recovery, this episode marks a turning point. I'm Janet Ioli, and after years of providing authentic leadership coaching to Fortune 200 leaders, I've discovered something powerful: the most transformative leaders aren't those who compartmentalize their lives—they're the ones who embrace execut...