Learning From Your World

What influences whether people choose to speak up, listen, and connect?

In this episode, I sit down with Megan Reitz, Associate Fellow at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, to explore the habits, environments, and ways of paying attention that shape our conversations, relationships, and leadership.

We discuss:

- Why people stay silent, even when they have something important to say. - How busyness changes the way we listen,...

There's a lot of conversation about AI, the economy, and the future of work. But what's actually happening? In this episode, I sit down with Connor Lokar, Senior Forecaster and Keynote Manager at ITR Economics, to discuss why today's job market feels so different, how AI is influencing hiring, and what individuals and organizations can do to prepare for the future.

We discuss:

- Why today's job market feels so different - How AI an...

In this episode, I sit down with Alastair Greener, speaker, author, researcher, and host of the Generationally Speaking podcast.

We discuss:

- Alastair's insights from his research on communication across generations.

- How stereotypes can get in the way of connection.

- Why our formative experiences shape how we see the world, and what it takes to build trust and understanding across differences.

Whether you're leading a team, wor...

In this episode, I sit down with Brad Steckart, founder of Sit By Me, an app designed to help people connect in real life, in real time.

We talk about the story behind the app, why starting conversations can feel harder than it should, and how technology can serve as a bridge to real-world connection rather than a replacement for it. Brad also shares the personal experiences that shaped his work and what he’s learning about l...

Strong relationships are not found, they're built.

In this episode, I talk with relationship expert and leadership educator Carole Robin, former Stanford Graduate School of Business faculty member and co-author of Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues. Together, we explore the practical skills that help people build trust, strengthen communication, and create meaningful relationships at wo...

Most leaders struggle because they’re trying to figure it out on their own. In this conversation with Allen Hauge, we talk about what changes when you’re in the right room. After more than 30 years working with CEOs, Allen shares how trust, vulnerability, and the right peer community help leaders gain clarity, and make better decisions.

In this episode, we discuss: - Why leaders make worse decisions in isolation - The &...

Making friends as an adult is hard, especially when you move somewhere new and don’t know anyone.

In this episode, I talk with Holly Cooke, founder of The Lonely Girls Club, about what it actually looks like to build friendships and community as an adult. Holly shares how she started the London Lonely Girls Club, why showing up matters more than confidence, and what it takes to keep going when things feel uncomfortable or unc...

Happiness was never meant to be an individual pursuit. In this conversation, Nic Marks, founder of Friday Pulse and creator of the Happy Planet Index, explains why happiness evolved as a social emotion, and why our brains light up in connection with others. We explore why so many of us are stuck in “okay” lives, why individualism has unintentionally disconnected us from what makes us thrive, and how our relationships ar...

What actually helps you trust again after you’ve been hurt or manipulated?

In this episode, author and educator Tracy A. Malone joins me to talk about what it takes to rebuild self-trust after narcissistic abuse. We unpack why awareness alone isn’t enough, how “sweet words” without consistent action break trust, and why self-forgiveness is often the hardest (and most freeing) part of healing.

We explore how ...

Love is not chemistry, compatibility tests, or waiting for someone who magically “gets us.” According to Dr. Harville Hendrix and Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt, the couple behind Getting the Love You Want, love is a practice that rewires us over time.

In this episode, we talk about how two therapists who literally wrote the book on marriage came within inches of divorce, and why their relationship became stronger not by knowin...

In this episode, divorce coach Karen McMahon and I unpack why the same relationship patterns keep showing up, even when the people change. We look at the childhood dynamics that shape how we communicate, handle conflict, set boundaries, and respond under stress.

Karen breaks down the difference between being victimized and seeing yourself as a victim, why people-pleasing and perfectionism form so early, and how recognizing your par...

We often talk about connection, but rarely about affection - the love we give and receive through our words, actions, and touch.

In this conversation, Dr. Kory Floyd, professor and author of The Loneliness Cure, helps make sense of how affection shapes our health and our relationships. We talk about how our families and culture teach us to show love, why the same gesture can land differently with different people, and what it actua...

We’re not in a connection crisis because we don’t care. 

We’re disconnected because our environment (our systems, our tech, and our pace) makes real connection harder than ever.

In this opening episode of The Connection Series, I share the personal and professional journey that led me to the question: 

What is real connection, and how do we rebuild it in a world designed for disconnection?

In this episod...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Arthur Schwartz, President of Character.org and a leading voice in moral development, we explore what it really takes to build character and live with purpose.

We discuss: - What Really Drives Action: Why character is about behavior, not just beliefs, and how to act on what matters most. - The Power of Purpose: How even simple goals (like a push-up contest) can provide meaning and motivation. -...

Is empathy enough to create real change?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Arthur Schwartz, President of Character.org and lifelong advocate for character development, about why empathy alone doesn’t create change, and what it really takes to live with integrity, purpose, and courage.

We discuss: - Why Empathy Isn’t Enough: What most people get wrong about empathy, and how too much of it can block justice and enable...

What if your mind was never meant to fit the system?

In this episode, Perry Knoppert shares what happened after he gave everything up, and what he built. From living without a home to founding the Octopus Movement, Perry explores the power of nonlinear thinking and creating outside the lines.

*This is Part 2 of our conversation. In Part 1, Perry shares how his  journey began.

We talk ...

What happens when someone steps outside the system?

In this episode, Perry Knoppert, founder of The Octopus Movement, shares the story of the seven months he spent without a home. What began as a personal decision rooted in curiosity quickly became a deeper experience of disconnection, challenge, and insight.

With honesty and reflection, Perry talks about:

• Why he gave everything up, and what happened next
• The emotional and me...

After an overwhelming response to our first conversation, I had to bring Chelsey back for round two! In this follow-up, the licensed psychotherapist and author answers listener questions, breaking down narcissistic behavior and how to heal from toxic relationships.

We explore:

• Grandiose vs. covert narcissists - how they manipulate differently.
• Why narcissists distort r...

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jody Olsen, former Peace Corps Director and global leader, about embracing courage, building trust, and making bold life decisions. From her unexpected leap into the Peace Corps in the 1960s to leading the evacuation of 7,000 volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Olsen shares her journey of stepping into the unknown, making high-stakes decisions, and fostering deep human connection across cul...