

Conflict Managed
Merry Brown
Conflict Managed is a podcast about toxic workplaces and how to fix them. Listen to stories of dysfunction and triumph from different walks of life and professions. Join us on the journey as we talk about the good, bad, and ugly of our work environments and discuss a vision for the future of human-centered workplaces where people are not only treated with dignity and respect but encouraged to be their brilliant selves. Managing Conflict is not magic, though it takes intentional and sustained planning for health to win over chaos in any environment. Conflict is normal and expected. Let’s deal with it.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 20, 2026 • 1h 1min
Ep 194, The Problem With “Should-ing” Over People
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Mitchell Osmond. Together we explore:
What is common knowledge?
Being bitter or better
The obstacle of holding people to what hasn’t been clearly communicated
Deciding to be thick skinned and soft hearted (instead of thin skinned and hard hearted)
Success professionally and personally
How do you define success?
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Mitchell Osmond is a trusted advisor, leadership consultant, executive coach, and host of the Dad Nation Podcast (Top 5% globally, +33k listeners). With over 15 years in senior leadership, he helps high-performing men achieve success where it matters most—at home, in their health, and in their happiness—while enhancing their career success. Mitchell has guided executives, entrepreneurs, and driven professionals to bridge the gap between career achievement and personal fulfillment.
His coaching, programs, and podcast equip men to lead with confidence, master their mindset, and build strong marriages and families. As a sought-after speaker and thought leader, Mitchell shares his expertise on leadership, marriage, mindset, and high-performance habits at events, masterminds, and across his digital platforms. His mission is clear: help career-driven men lead with purpose, win in every arena, and create a legacy that outlives them.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
#ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication #Connection #Podcast

Jan 13, 2026 • 48min
Ep 193, Winning the Generation Wars at Work
This week on Conflict Managed, the tables are turned. Scott Williams, CEO of Discovery Park of America, interviews Merry Brown, UT Martin Ombuds and founder of Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services about her new book, Winning the Generation Wars at Work: Making (Your) Age an Asset.
Join us as we discuss:
The antidote to the generation wars at work
Why generational conflict is more about narratives than people
How age stereotypes produce lost opportunities at work
Opting for dialogue instead of debate to ageism proof your workplace
How leaders can design systems that invite every voice, not just senior ones
What younger employees can do to be heard without losing clarity or credibility
How technology, including AI, encourages every generation to keep learning together
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and (usually) hosted by Merry Brown.
#ConflictManaged #WinningTheGenerationWars #GenerationsAtWork #WorkplaceConversations #Leadership

Jan 6, 2026 • 59min
Ep 192, Fear at Work
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Jacqueline Wales. Together we explore:
What is fear?
Four professional fears
Fear as information
Fear based behavior
E.A.R.: Face it, Explore it, Act on it, Rise with it
Self-compassion
Do you have enough information for the judgement you have made?
Not fearless, but fear intelligence
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Jacqueline Wales has spent over 18 years helping leaders and teams around the world transform fear into clarity, courage, and trust.
Her work is grounded in a simple truth — fear isn’t the enemy. It’s data. When you learn to read it, you lead differently.
Jacqueline is a passionate champion for being fearless. She is the author of Fear Intelligence: A Practical Framework for Leading Beyond Fear, The Fearless Factor, The Fearless Factor at Work, and When The Crow Sings, a novel. She is a TEDx and Vistage speak, founder of Transformational Strategies for Success programs and a trusted advisor to senior executives who are ready to transform their professional and personal lives.
jacqueline@jacquelinewales.com
jacquelinewales.com
linkedin.com/in/jacquelinewales
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
#Fear #Emotions #LeadershipDevelopment #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Communication

Dec 30, 2025 • 1h
Ep 191, Repairing Relationships at Work
🎙 This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Dr. Lola Gershfeld. Join us as we explore:
Working with family
How to repair ruptures at work
Attachment theory at work
Unresponsive manager? What to do.
We are wired for connection
Negative cycles
Emotional Disconnection
A.R.E. (accessible, responsive, engaged) you there for me?
Emotions as the music in our relationships
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Dr. Lola Gershfeld is the founder of EmC Leaders and co-author of The Emotional Connection: The EmC Strategy: How Leaders Can Unlock the Human Potential, Build Resilient Teams, and Nurture Thriving Culture. Her work focuses on helping leaders unlock human potential, strengthen teams, and build healthy workplace cultures. Before launching EmC, she spent more than twenty years as a CFO and HR professional, studying how to resolve conflict and re-engage teams. Her EmC process has become a significant contribution to leadership and organizational resilience. When she is not working, she finds inspiration in hot yoga classes, enjoys exploring with her five grandkids in Hawaii, and cherishes the relationships with her life partner, family, and colleagues.
Dr. Gershfeld's is the co-host of The Leader in You podcast.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

Dec 23, 2025 • 58min
Ep 190, Emotional Dysregulation At Work
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Garrett Wood. Together we explore:
Finding your why
What is the leader’s job?
Emotional dysregulation vs emotional regulation at work, and why it matters
The team as a choir
Addressing beliefs that no longer serve you
A3 framework
Your unique nervous system needs
Success is dependent on your wellbeing, not at its expense
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Garrett Wood is a National Board–Certified Health and Wellness Coach, clinical hypnotherapist, executive functioning specialist and founder of Gnosis Therapy. For nearly two decades, he has helped high-achieving, high-masking professionals turn burnout into breakthroughs using outcome based coaching, clinical hypnotherapy and somatic regulation.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
#Emtionalregulation #LeadershipDevelopment #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Dysregulation #Podcast

Dec 16, 2025 • 56min
Ep 189, The Bravery To Sit In Discomfort
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Hacia Atherton. Together we explore:
Making space for and supporting women in the trades
Understanding and playing the game of business
How much is your poor workplace culture costing you?
Hacia’s new book, The Billion Dollar Blind$pot
Wellbeing framework
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Hacia Atherton is the author of The Billion Dollar Blind$pot — a groundbreaking book exposing the silent cultural costs sabotaging business performance and reshaping how we define leadership.
As the first female CEO of a large plumbing company in Australia, Hacia brings a bold voice to male-dominated industries, driving cultural reform from the inside out. Her journey from trauma to triumph began after a near-fatal horse-riding accident left her unable to walk. Refusing to accept that diagnosis, she rebuilt not just her body, but her mission one step at a time.
Today, she’s the founder and chair of Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT) — a not-for-profit organisation focused on attracting and retaining women in skilled trades across Australia and the U.S., two of the world’s most male-dominated sectors.
Hacia’s work blends lived experience, leadership psychology, and strategic transformation to champion psychologically safe, inclusive, and high-performing workplaces — where people aren't just surviving, they're thriving.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
#Trades #WomenInTrades #LeadershipDevelopment #ConflictManagement #WorkplaceCulture #Courage #BetterLeadership

Dec 9, 2025 • 1h 3min
Ep 188, Forming Trust Through Connection, Character, & Competence
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Ravi Rajani. Together we explore:
What a job could be (the dream) vs. what a job is (reality of it)
Ravi’s new book, Relationship Currency: Five Communication Habits for Limitless Influence and Business Success
The different mindsets of, ‘How can I go through my day unscathed?’ vs. ‘How can I expand, sharpen, and grow?’
Growth is not painless
Where are you asking questions without intention or presence? Where could you ask questions that could increase your relationships?
Transactional vs intentional interactions
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Ravi Rajani is an international keynote speaker, communication expert, and LinkedIn Learning instructor, with over 65,000 people having taken his courses on Conscious and Charismatic Communication. Recognized as one of the world’s leading thought leaders on storytelling and communication, Ravi has worked with mission-driven leaders, teams and organizations such as Oracle NetSuite, T-Mobile, and Sherwin Williams. Over the years, Ravi has helped companies and people like this become masterful communicators, tell compelling stories, listen with intention and build meaningful relationships that amplify revenue growth and cultivate a culture of trust. Off stage or camera, Ravi lives just outside of London, UK, with his wife, son, daughter and furry little West Highland Terrier. His forthcoming book, Relationship Currency: Five Communication Habits for Limitless Influence and Business Success, will be released in November 2025.
Official Site: www.theravirajani.com
LinkedIn: Ravi Rajani
YouTube: @theravirajani
TikTok: @theravirajani
Instagram: @theravirajani
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

Dec 2, 2025 • 53min
Ep 187, The Intersection of What You’re Good At, Like To Do, Can Get Paid For, & The World Needs
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Mary Olson-Menzel. Join us as we explore:
Mary’s new book, What Lights You Up? Illuminate Your Path and Take the Next Big Step
Looking for a new job? What now?
Reaching out for help
Leaning into your natural gifts
Healthy conflict
Growth mindset: Dealing with roadblocks and difficult bosses
Generations at work
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube @3pconflictrestoration
Mary Olson-Menzel is a renowned expert in career and workplace success. She has over 30 years of leadership experience across various industries, including media, tech, healthcare, and sports, and has worked with many global organizations. She is the Founder and CEO of MVP Executive Development, a national leadership, coaching, and organizational management consultancy with offices in New York, Connecticut, and Illinois. Her clients range from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups with a broad reach of industries, from FinTech to Football (the NFL). As a seasoned executive leadership coach, Mary works with both companies and individuals to unlock their potential, improving business performance and catalyzing growth. Her coaching methods bring a fresh lens to business and a perspective that nurtures teamwork, helping drive results through grace, empathy, and Humane Leadership.
Before starting her company in 2012, Mary was a partner at two leading global executive search firms. She also spent a decade at Tribune Company in Chicago, serving as National Managing Director of Talent, where she led a team of recruiting professionals. This is where her understanding and expertise in recruiting and coaching were honed. She worked closely with hundreds of media assets nationwide to attract and retain the best and brightest.
Mary currently lives in Westchester, NY, with her husband and family. She is a part of Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches, which brings together the world's leading executive coaches, consultants, speakers, authors, iconic leaders, and entrepreneurs. Mary is a regular Guest Lecturer on career development, internships, and workplace success at the NYU School of Professional Studies, Division of Programs in Business. She also volunteers for various local charities. What Lights You Up? Illuminate Your Path and Take the Next Big Step in Your Career is her first book and is a USA Today National Bestseller. For more information, visit www.mvpexec.com and www.maryolsonmenzel.com.
Connect on social media:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-olson-menzel-mvpexec/
https://www.instagram.com/maryolsonmenzel/
https://www.facebook.com/MVPExecutiveCoaching
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.

Nov 25, 2025 • 53min
Ep 186, The Gift of Difficult Feedback
This week on Conflict Managed, we welcome Tinna Jackson. Join us as we discuss:
Living with grief while working
The kindness of telling colleagues the truth (in the right way, at the right time)
Building comradery and community at work
Letting others know your greatness
Closing the gap between effective leadership and the employee experience
Tinna’s new book, The Power Play Journal
Honest leadership (self-knowledge)
Conflict Managed is available wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube @ 3pconflictrestoration.
Tinna Jackson brings nearly three decades guiding executives through high-stakes challenges—first inside the U.S. Senate and major committees, now as a nationally recognized executive coach and bestselling author. Her work dives deep into the tactical realities leaders face when the stakes are high, decisions carry real weight, and navigating power dynamics becomes the heart of effective conflict management.
She has helped top leaders and organizations reset culture, build constructive influence, and lead with authority during moments that test everything from emotional intelligence to strategic clarity. Tinna’s experience sits right at the intersection what we wrestle with daily: managing relationships, surfacing tough conversations, and driving outcomes under real-world stress.
Her award-winning book, The Power Play Journal, has resonated with executives seeking practical approaches to influence and resilience.
Conflict Managed is hosted by Merry Brown and produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services.
#ConflictManagedPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #CommunicationMatters #BeCoachable #DifficultConversations #Grief

Nov 18, 2025 • 57min
Ep 185, Change the Question
This week on Conflict Managed we welcome Johnnie Garmon. Together we explore:
Wisdom vs. knowledge
Work/Life blend (not balance)
Who do I want to become?
Hurtful, not harmful, conversations
Turning towards each other instead of on each other
New book: Failure Disrupted
Conflict Managed is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube: @3pconflictrestoration
Johnnie Garmon is founder and managing partner of The Perissos Group, a mission-driven consulting and investment firm that invests in and coaches purpose-driven businesses. He is the author of Failure Disrupted, a bold new roadmap for leaders who are ready to take control of their outcomes and turn vision into measurable success.
With more than twenty years of experience in startup, growth, and leadership development, Garmon’s first entrepreneurial success included Providence Management Group, a consortium of mission-focused companies and non-profits built on the belief that exceptional cultures create exceptional results. Through his business and leadership ventures, he has maintained that when people come first, profits come as a result.
When he’s not inspiring growth within his clients and partners, he enjoys teaching entrepreneurship and organizational leadership courses at Columbia International University (CIU). His educational background includes an MBA from Webster University and a BS in organizational development from University of Mount Olive. Garmon lives, works, and writes from Seabrook Island, South Carolina.
Conflict Managed is produced by Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services and hosted by Merry Brown.
#ConflictResolution #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #Wisdom #Podcast


