The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Join me with the great Jonathan Jones as we talk about how he pivoted from 12 years working for churches to a successful career in corporate America. You will love the insights from him on building a great company culture! Jonathan Jones (linkedin.com/in/jonathanjoneskc ) joined DEMDACO (demdaco.com  ) in the fall of 2006 to give leadership to the company’s focus and intentionality about its culture. Since that time Jonathan has helped develop and lead conversations around DEMDACO’s Purpose: pursuing business the way it ought to be, and its Mission: to lift the spirit in measurable and tangible ways. He helps the company tell its stories both inside and outside the company. DEMDACO, located in Leawood, KS, specializes in artist-driven gift and home décor products that lift the spirit and help people connect in meaningful ways. As a certified Gallup CliftonStrengths coach, Jonathan loves helping others discover their Strengths and find ways to leverage them to achieve their goals. Jonathan and his wife Maria live in the Kansas area. They have four children and five grandchildren.   

Join my conversation with Jane Deterding as we talk about her experience working for the legendary Bob Dole, becoming a lawyer, and her pivot to running her 101-year-old family bank! Jane Deterding is a fourth-generation banker at Citizen Bank of Kansas (CBK), Jane’s ties to banking started at an early age. She currently serves as Chairman of the Board, with other roles including General Counsel and Chief Strategic Marketing Officer. She is a graduate of Wichita State University, where she earned a BBA in finance and economics, and the University of Kansas School of Law. Jane joined CBK full-time in 2001 after a decade in private law practice. Jane serves as a Commissioner on the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission and is involved with the Wichita Animal Action League, Wichita Chamber of Commerce, and Wichita Area Delta Gamma Alumnae, among other interests. Jane and her husband, Brent Lehner, have two adult children and live in western Sedgwick County with their four rescue dogs.

You will love my conversation with Kristen Ragusin (www.kristenragusin.com/ )! Her book "The End of Scarcity: The Dawn of The New Abundant World" (Amazon: https://a.co/d/0nyU1cX) will be one of the most important books you will ever read. She has such great energy and is on a mission to change our world by implementing a new system of exchange to create and sustain a life worth living. About Kristen: Kristen’s interest in money began as a child as she studied the stock and bond markets with her father to earn her allowance. She grew up seeing the markets as a tool of empowerment but all that changed when she saw the coming financial crisis of 2008. Sensing something was amiss in her worldview, she discovered everything she knew about money was wrong. Through a shocking revelation, she learned that what we use as money today works against us, creating perpetual suffering and scarcity. This sent her on a seven-year journey around the world to find another way to create money. She uncovered a new way so simple and so beautiful, a new way already beginning to emerge. Preparing to unleash the natural abundance that exists, we stand on the precipice of the coming revolution of how we do money. Unstoppable, it comes closer every day. Reading her book will take you from grief, fear, and scarcity to hope, love, and abundance. Kristen is a professional wealth management consultant with thirty years of experience. Investing over $150 million, she helps clients navigate markets and achieve financial goals. She is a certified digital currency professional and earned her Masters Degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Kristen holds certificates in FinTech from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in Money and Society from the University of Cumbria, London. She loves the adventure of Life and everything it brings from the many kinds of people to the wonders of Nature. She has traveled throughout the world. Her many journeys include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, hiking through the Sahara desert and studying at a spiritual school located in the foothills of Southern India. https://www.theendofscarcity.com/contact

Aaron Fulk (www.aaronfulk.com) is the CEO and founder of Lillian James Creative (https://lillianjamescreative.com/). You are going to enjoy this conversation with Aaron in this wide-open chat about her unconventional upbringing and career journey.  Here is the bio Aaron gave me to use for the episode: In 2016, as a single mom without a college degree, Aaron (spelled like a boy) founded Lillian James Creative in her garage. She leaned on her marketing and sales experience, tapped into her personal and professional networks, and utilized her intuition and ambition to overcome obstacles, conquer challenges, and achieve company goals. You will so enjoy listening to Aaron's unfiltered and unapologetic view of her life!

Please enjoy this mini-course on leadership with Baron Lukas!   Baron Lukas is an executive leader, advisor, coach, and retired Marine Corps Colonel. He has 42 years of leadership, management, and mentoring experience. His professional career spans a diverse spectrum of positions: fighter pilot, instructor, strategist, intelligence officer, professor, commander, and finally, business executive, entrepreneur, board member, and advisor. Baron is a Principal at ExecHQ, a consulting firm comprised of over 100 senior executives in North America and globally with extensive C-Suite (e.g., CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, etc.) experience. ExecHQ delivers on-demand, cost-effective solutions for complex business problems faced by CEOs and business owners. Baron’s advisory services include pre-transaction valuation improvement, strategy development and execution, executive coaching, corporate governance, and succession planning. Baron heads “ExecHQ MULTIPLE,” an advisory program specifically intended to prepare businesses for an M&A transaction or capital raise, and ExecHQ’s Executive Coaching and Corporate Governance practices. Baron’s long history of business and military leadership positions gives him a unique perspective that blends the best practices of both worlds. A native of Germany, Baron is bilingual (English and German) and holds two master’s degrees. Baron and his wife, Tanya, an award-winning author, live on a small ranch just west of Fort Worth, Texas.

Enjoy my conversation with the magnificent Maki Moussavi as we get into some deep topics about work and fulfillment. Her book is fantastic!   Maki Moussavi (www.makimoussavi.com) is a mindset and executive coach, as well as the author of The High Achiever’s Guide (Amazon). She helps high achievers catalyze empowering change through deep examination of their conditioning to identify limiting patterns that keep them from reaching their full potential. Maki helps high achievers create positive disruption in their lives by de-complicating the process of making change. Like her clients, she identifies as a type A high achiever and spent 13 years in corporate America. Combined with her training in genetic counseling, her background provides the unique skills and experience to guide clients through the emotionally complex process of self-examination, deconditioning from standard paradigms of success, and uncovering a personally aligned approach that is holistically fulfilling.  

Welcome to the first special edition of the Corporate Couch Podcast! These episodes will be more of a loveseat and will range from 15 to 30 minutes in duration. In each special edition episode, I will ask one or more exceptional executives how they deal with the challenges that face corporate America today. This first special edition episode is about a topic near and dear to my heart, corporate culture, and you will hear from 10 exceptional executives on what they focus on to build outstanding cultures. You will hear from the following impressive group of leaders:   - Harry Campbell (linkedin.com/in/harryscampbell ) - Mike Allison (linkedin.com/in/mike-allison-connect ) - Jonathan Jones (linkedin.com/in/jonathanjoneskc ) - Pamela Norton (linkedin.com/in/pamelaannnorton ) - Sherri Gilligan (linkedin.com/in/sherri-w-gilligan-95845097 ) - Steve McClain (linkedin.com/in/steve-mcclain-981b648 ) - Brad Douglas (linkedin.com/in/braddouglas1 ) - Jy Maze (linkedin.com/in/jy-maze-0a23a8156 ) - Franny Goolsby (linkedin.com/in/frannygoolsbysalesleader ) - Mark Mears (linkedin.com/in/markamears ).   Please enjoy this inaugural special edition episode!

Mary Messner  (www.marymessner.com) is a professional speaker, an advocate for women and girls, a mother, and a wife (not necessarily in that order). She has dedicated her career to approaching challenges with creativity, refusing to accept the status quo, and leading with a determination to grow others. Mary partners with organizations to provide inspiration, offer knowledge, and identify solutions. She is committed to creating a workplace culture where women are recognized and celebrated for their authentic and powerful abilities. Her speaking engagements and workshops provide tangible strategies that demonstrate how to empower women in the workplace. While off the stage, Mary spends her time as the Executive Director for Madam President Camp, a non-profit youth organization designed to inspire girls to use their voice to become leaders in their communities now and in the future. Mary brings her corporate, non-profit, and small business experience to each interaction with the goal of creating meaningful connections with her clients and audience.   You will enjoy my conversation with Mary!

Jy Maze is the President of award-winning Maze Freight Solutions (https://mazefreightsolutions.com/). She has been in transportation and supply chain management for over 12 years. Her sales success with large and small companies, along with the lack of diversity in the industry led to the founding of Maze Freight Solutions in 2017. The company, which emphasizes integrity, quality, and superior customer service, has experienced phenomenal growth since its inception. Jy is a wife and mother of two, Author of Finding Your Toddler Ambition (https://a.co/d/0ysShIM), Motivational Speaker, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist/Trustee of the Maze Foundation, Mentor, and a 2023 KC Biz Journal, Women Who Mean Business honoree. You will love Jy's energy and the conversation. Please enjoy!

Kristin Herman (LinkedIn Profile ) is a wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual. Her wealth management philosophy: In the world of wealth management, there is a lingering misconception about what financial advisors are and do. Many feel that financial advisors are only out to collect a fee or to transact a result. They believe that transparency is the last thought of the financial advisor, and as a result, strategy and education go by the wayside. The people who work with Kristin don't want to make a transaction. They want someone to understand and counsel them at a deep level by clarifying and aligning their intentions and actions so that they can know what is meaningful in their lives will also be measurable. This helps them pursue ‘Wholehearted Wealth’ through ‘Living by Design’ and achieve financial freedom, confidence, and peace of mind. Kristin and her team work with amazing individuals nationwide who want to create a legacy of wealth that matches their passions and joy—and they do it by creating clarity, confidence, and security. In their journey with her team, their courageous vulnerability helps them pursue ease in their financial paths, becoming empowered and equipped to pursue their own wholehearted lives. As they create meaningful change in their finances, they experience a peace they never knew was possible. When you feel empowered, wholehearted, and cared for, the world is your oyster.    Please enjoy my conversation with Kristin!