Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

How do you hire, onboard and get the best results in a virtual workplace? Dr. Ronald Beach knows it takes a combination of communication skills, setting clear expectations, and taking time to create a strong relationship with each person on the team. He shares many useful tips from his two books, The Virtual Divide and The Virtual Bridge. Ron is an Organizational Sociologist with a Ph. D. in Organization and Management.  He’s now at the University of Arizona Global Campus, where he serves as the Lead Faculty for the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration within the Forbes School of Business and Technology®.  Before that Ron had more than 25 years’ experience as a manager in high tech manufacturing at companies like Western Digital and Hitachi. He’s also an award-winning author of 7 books. You’ll discover: How Ron applied lessons from his years in the Marines to his work in a high-tech manufacturing environmentWhy it’s worth a leader’s time to schedule weekly calls with each person on their teamWhat to include in your onboarding to ensure a good match and high productivity long-termRon’s approach to managing his remote team of 84 full-time and adjunct faculty members at the University of ArizonaCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Do you ever struggle to find joy in your life? My guest Cordelia Gaffar is a master of guiding clients to discover the joy within, and that’s why she has the title, Ultimate Joy Goddess. Through her own life experiences (which include many years in the corporate world followed by being a mother of 6 children and homeschooling for 18 years), Cordelia now serves as an executive transformation coach. She helps clients learn to nurture themselves by using a process she calls Four Mind Alignment.Cordelia has won multiple awards for her 8 books and 2 podcasts, along with other awards like the Brainz Global 500 Award of Influencers and Entrepreneurs for 2021.You’ll discover: How Cordelia defines joyWhat gets in the way of self-careThe five practices of self-nurturing that lead to joyHow to respond when negative feelings arise within youWhy Cordelia advises, “Pause for the cause of you”Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

DescriptionWant some inspiration and practical tips for surmounting obstacles in your life? You’ll get both from Jill Tietjen, who shares stories about the adversity faced by several of the 50 women featured in her latest book, Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Surmount Obstacles. Jill is an author, international speaker, and an electrical engineer. After more than 45 years in the electric utility industry, her professional focus is now on women’s advocacy, worldwide. She speaks internationally on the accomplishments of women, nominates women for awards, and continues to write books, with 12 published to date. Her first 2 books about women were bestsellers and award-winners: Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America and Hollywood: Her Story, An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies.  Jill has been inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame, and the National Academy of Construction.   You’ll discover: How Jill got the idea to write this bookThe wide range of obstacles faced by the 50 women featured in the bookThe 10 common characteristics they sharedKey take-aways readers have reportedTips for surmounting the obstacles in your lifeCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Have you ever wondered what would happen if an org chart were flipped, so it was an upside-down triangle? Meet Nick Gallo. He and his brother Giovanni are Co-CEOs at Ethico, and they’ve accomplished this by putting their clients at the top of the pyramid. Nick Gallo is Chief Servant and Co-CEO of Ethico, a company that provides human resource, compliance and ethics solutions that serve 8 million employees in over 100 countries. He has the distinction of being the only millennial CEO of a compliance company. Nick is a first-generation American son of a Cuban refugee and member of Mensa International. He’s a student of behavioral economics and organizational psychology, and he’s a thought leader in the compliance and culture space. Nick has dedicated his life to serving — his community, clients, and team — in order to make the world a better workplace.You’ll discover: Why Nick’s other title is Chief Servant…and what it communicates to everyone else in the companyHow Nick got buy-in from employees for flipping the org chartWhat Day 0 looks like for new employeesStrategies used at Ethico to attract and hire the right peopleThe initiatives in place to give employees opportunities to learn and growCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Have you ever had a boss who challenged you because they saw your long-term potential? Geoffrey Roche was lucky enough to work for a CEO who led him that way, and her influence is reflected in the way he leads his own teams today. You’ll take away ideas that can help you be that kind of leader to others.Geoffrey is the son of a nurse, as well as a future of work and education expert. The combination of healthcare and higher ed represents a common thread throughout his professional career, which includes over nine years in hospital administration and in senior leadership roles at two universities. Geoffrey currently serves as the Senior Vice President of National Health Care Practice & Workforce Partnerships at Core Education, a Public Benefit Corporation. He is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and a champion for transforming health equity. He’s also the host of the EdUp HealthUp podcast.You’ll discover: How Geoffrey continues to model behaviors he learned from an extraordinary CEO he worked forWhat led him to be a Heart Leader and adopt Love as a way of being with othersWhy Geoffrey’s superpower is connectionThe importance of addressing career mobility with employeesWhat’s different in the way Geoffrey leads and coaches his remote team Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Do you know someone who struggles at work or at home because of neurodiversity or executive functioning challenges? If so, you’re going to find this interview with Michelle Raz extremely valuable! You’ll learn what you can do to support them, whether they’re an employee on your team or a family member.Michelle is a certified career coach and the owner of Raz Coaching where she works with neurodiverse professionals. She helps them shift from feeling like a misunderstood outsider to feeling like they belong by taking them through a process that identifies their strengths and gives them strategies for success. And in case you have a high school or college student in your home, Michelle is also co-founder of Thrivister – an academic coaching company specializing in helping neurodiverse students. She’s the author of Happiness+Passion+Purpose, which she wrote to guide people to identify their strengths and discover the career they love.You’ll discover: The meaning of the terms “neurodivergent” and “executive functioning challenge”Cues leaders can pay attention to, for employees who might otherwise go under the radarHow leaders can tap into the unique gifts these individuals have to offerThree tips for helping a neurodivergent person experience greater successCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Many companies are struggling with how to structure work, and some are requiring everyone to return to the physical building. Yet remote and hybrid teams are here to stay. Kevin Eikenberry shares practical tips from his new book, The Long-Distance Team, on making these teams successful.Kevin is an expert on this subject, not only because he’s written the book, but also because he’s been leading a long-distance team himself for more than 25 years. He explains how to consciously design teams, define and create culture, and nurture employee engagement, all from a distance. Kevin is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group.  He’s recognized by Inc.com as one of the top 100 Leadership and Management thinkers in the world. Kevin has spent nearly 30 years helping organizations around the world in the areas of leadership development, learning, teams and teamwork, and communication.You’ll discover: Why getting involvement from everyone is important when designing your teamA simple and clear definition of CultureDifferences in creating culture in a new team vs. an existing teamThe 3 Cs that are the pillars for long-distance teams…and why they are essentialThe distinction between expectations and agreements for both individuals and teamsCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

In a challenging sales environment, it can be tough for leaders to stay positive—and to keep their team members seeing possibilities, too. Reggie Marable has learned how to do both in his role at Slack, where he heads a national sales organization. You’ll love Reggie’s enthusiasm for his work as well as his commitment to his ongoing growth. He’s a walking encyclopedia of inspiring quotes, and you’ll want to capture them for future reference!Reggie is the Head of Sales, Communications, Media and Technology for Slack, which is now owned by Salesforce. Reggie has responsibility for generating growth in Salesforce's largest accounts in North America. He’s also the author of The Blue Print: The Keys to making BIG Money in Professional Sales to help salespeople shorten their learning curve and save them from struggling like he did in his early years.You’ll discover: How Reggie chooses to view past rejections and failuresWhat Reggie does to maintain a positive attitude every dayThe skills he practices to continue his own growthWhy diversity of backgrounds is essential for achieving the best results as a teamFavorite quotes that inspire and guide Reggie dailyCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

It can be devastating to lose a close family member to a disease like cancer. Carrie Verrocchio talks about the inspiration she received to use her true gifts because of messages she received from her beloved brother before and after he died. Since then, she’s been on a mission to wake others up to their true potential. CarrieVee, as she is affectionately known to all her fans, is an international speaker, international best-selling author, podcast host, and Certified Transformation, Forgiveness, and Grief Coach.  After going from burned out corporate general manager to seizing opportunities and creating the life she had been dreaming of, Carrie now uses her experiences to lead others on a journey of Radical Empowerment and Radical Change.  She is the founder of the Radical Empowerment Method, an online program designed to walk people through the exact method she herself used to move from a life of feeling invisible to a life of empowered success and action. Carrie is the author of two very special books, The Radical Empowerment Method and 30 Days to Gratitude Journal. You’ll discover: How “Life is Short, Choose Wisely” came to be Carrie’s mantraWhat are “Pow Pow Shoes” and how can you identify yours?Why forgiveness is one of the most powerful choices you can makeThe benefits of adopting and maintaining gratitude as a way of beingWhy Carrie says Happiness is a choice and not a destinationCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Have you ever made a hiring mistake? If you’d had guidance from Jeannette Seibly, you might have avoided that costly error. Jeannette is an expert on hiring practices, and in this conversation she shares many important tips from her excellent book, Hire Amazing Employees: How to Increase Retention, Revenues and Results!Jeannette is The Leadership Results Coach as well as an award-winning speaker, author, and consultant. Besides her deep knowledge around hiring, Jeannette also works with leaders and their teams to explore ideas, create new possibilities, and achieve win-win-win results. Her primary focus for the past 30 years has been hiring, coaching, and retaining top talent. You’ll discover: The process many companies follow when hiring…and why that approach is a problemWhy Jeannette says Job Fit is #1 when considering a candidateThe 3 equal parts that make up the Selection TriadHow to conduct effective interviews—what to do and what not to doWhy doing only a background check is not adequate due diligenceCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn