This Thanksgiving week, we’re sharing what we’re most grateful for and exploring creative, eco-friendly ways to celebrate the holiday. In this episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we dive into simple, sustainable Thanksgiving ideas, from reducing waste to choosing Earth-friendly traditions, that can make your holiday more meaningful, mindful, and memorable. Whether you’re cooking, commuting, or prepping for the big feast, tune in for low-effort, high-impact tips that help you honor gratitude while caring for the planet. If you’re looking for sustainable holiday ideas, greener hosting practices, or inspiration for a more intentional Thanksgiving, this episode offers plenty to reflect on. Give it a listen before Thursday because your future self (and the Earth) may thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!

In this inspiring episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and activist John Ondrasik, best known as Five for Fighting. Recorded just minutes before he stepped onstage, John shares a powerful reflection on music, courage, and hope in a world facing immense challenges. Through songs that spotlight some of humanity’s most painful struggles, he uses his platform to raise awareness, compassion, and purpose-driven action. Listen as John opens up about his creative journey and what fuels his mission to inspire hope, lessons he’s learned from some of the world’s most oppressed yet resilient people and the importance of aligning your actions to your values even when it’s difficult. This heartfelt conversation will move you to think differently about leadership, purpose, and the quiet power of hope in action. Listen now and be reminded that even in dark times, one voice and one song, can make a world of difference.

Feeling overwhelmed or hopeless? You’re not alone. In this Lifting Leaders Podcast episode, Kristal Roberts and Tricia Rhine share practical ways to rise out of hopelessness and rediscover hope through small, intentional actions—like self-care, gratitude, and shifting your mindset. Tune in and learn how to rebuild resilience, nurture emotional wellbeing, and move forward with grace.

In this episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with a powerful conversation with Jeni Craswell, President & CEO of Leadership Eastside.Jeni shares how courageous, values-based leadership can transform not only organizations but entire communities. As co-chair of the visionary team that created the first community-focused adaptive leadership curriculum for LE, she’s helping local leaders build the mindset and capacity to address complex social challenges collaboratively. Discover how initiatives like Eastside Pathways are creating thriving, equitable communities through trust, connection, and shared purpose. Jeni offers wisdom on aligning who you are and what you value with the work you do, reminding us that real change begins within. Tune in for inspiration on how to lead with hope and courage in times of change, build leadership capacity across communities, and foster collaboration, equity, and belonging. Listen now to be inspired to lead differently, starting with yourself.

This week on Lifting Leaders Podcast, we explore the power of pressing pause. In a world that glorifies busyness, intentional rest can feel risky—but it’s often where hope, resilience, and creativity return. Learn how taking an intermission can restore well-being, spark innovation, and renew your sense of purpose as a leader and human being.

Continuing our “What Brings Us Hope” series, we explore what our Hope Survey reveals about how people sustain hopein daily life and leadership. Discover simple, research-backed practices that build resilience, strengthen well-being, and help leaders stay grounded when challenges arise. Hope is a verb — and we all have a role in keeping it alive.

Continuing with our theme of “What Brings Us Hope,”  we are so happy to introduce you to Darrell Thomas, Creator and Host of “The Money Levels Show,” host of “Resource Investment Conference Media Channel” and seasoned EDI professional. Spend this time with us, as Darrell candidly shares his fascinating story, from his beginnings in Oklahoma, through his varied endeavors that have led him to this point in his life journey.  Learn what sparked Darrell’s focus toward financial wealth and how that started him on a new journey to help others gain control of their own finances.  He even has a few things to say about our country’s current economic concerns and how we can keep things in perspective. We HOPE you enjoy spending this time with the three of us.

Continuing with our theme of “What Brings Us Hope,”  we are excited to introduce you to a World-class research scientist, Dr. Matt Sturchio, PhD, who is transforming how we think about solar energy. Most people know that solar panels are used to feed the grid, so we can heat and light up our homes or recharge our vehicles. Imagine a world where solar panels coexist with native plants, nourishing the soil and possibly mitigating some of our worst climate challenges. What if we could grow more habitats for foraging animals?  Listen in and learn about Ecovoltaics, and how Matt’s research is transforming our future.  Hear about Matt’s Cornell University project focusing on the co-location of agriculture and solar, in New York State and beyond. If you, like us, are interested in learning about how existing materials are shaping a better world for now and for our future, listen to this episode. We HOPE you will feel as inspired as we do.   

We’re beyond excited to share our first-ever public speaking engagement, on the topic of HOPE—at the International Organization Development Network Conference. It’s only Day One but we are already learning so much! We spent this great day meeting fellow OD Professionals and learning from some of the pioneers in our profession.  What does it feel like to step onto a global stage for the first time? How can somatic practices, like music, create alignment across systems and organizations? Do you know what Agency is and why it matters? And what unexpected insights emerge when you sit in a World Café conversation, where collective wisdom takes shape through dialogue? In this episode, we reflect on what we learned, how it inspired us, and why this milestone matters for our journey. Curious? Come listen in—you might discover ideas that spark your own growth, too. 

What better way to kick off our new, Season Five series, “What Brings Us Hope,” (that’s one!) than to celebrate with one of our absolute, all-time favorite guests, for the third time, Carla Ondrasik (that’s two!)?  And we are thrilled and honored to be sharing this episode on the very day that Carla’s new book, STOP TRYING – The Life-Transforming Power of Trying Less and Doing More, is launching! (that’s three!).  Yes, listeners…that’s right! You can get it hot off the press today!!  Listen in, as Carla shares a bit of her journey, over the past 20 years, to get to this day…launch day.  Learn about the role planning played in helping Carla Stop Trying and begin Doing.  Ever hear the expression, “Eat the frog”?  Well listen in and you may find yourself embracing the practice yourself. What Brings Us Hope, during this upbeat episode lies in seeing ourselves and anyone who reads this book, begin to feel stronger, more confident, empowered and engaged, when we all Try less and Do more. We hope you check out the episode. We’re inspired to Stop Trying and we hope you will be too!  

We are SO excited to be back from our annual Summer break AND to introduce Season FIVE of Lifting Leaders Podcast!  We did a lot during our six-week sabbatical, and we want to share some of it with you.  Listen in and hear about a key lesson learned, during this time off.  Hint…how many activities can one commit to, in a six-week period of time?  Hear about a related lesson learned that we believe everyone should heed, particularly when winding down from work or school. Check out our latest series, focusing on What Brings Us Hope, that will  officially kick off next week. We will be digging into different ways people find and feel more aligned with hope.  So, if you find hope in art, music, the environment, activism, whatever, you will likely find a great deal of inspiration in this series.  It took approximately 15 minutes to get the show notes written (counting spelling and grammatical corrections!).  This episode is just about 20 minutes longer than that – and you don’t need Spell Check!   Let’s keep that conversation going, shall we?  

Well, we did it!  Season Four is coming to a close, just as we begin our annual Summer break (August, anyway!). In this episode, we share some of the highlights from this season’s show, with fantastic guests, insightful Gem episodes, Coaches Corners and more.  We learned and accomplished so much, this season, from offering a series on Coaching from the Heart; visiting our local plant nursery, to learn more about indigenous plants that attract pollinators; and sharing the spotlight during the Hudson Institute Learning Conference.  Everything we offered and everything we did this season gave you, our listeners, opportunities to grow and to explore new and different possibilities.  Hey! We even learned a bit from and about Chat GPT!  We are so grateful that you are part of our listening network, and we look forward to bringing even more in the new season. In fact, we have some ideas for a few new series, in Season Five, and we HOPE you will join us. We are taking the month of August off, as we do, every year.  Keep your ears and eyes open for an Season Five announcement, coming in early September.  Collectively, we are all making the world a better place.  Let’s keep that conversation going, shall we? 

As we get closer to taking our annual August break, we want to take a look at ways in which we can have fun, while not overtaxing our environment.  Listen in and learn about some simple ways that everyone can make a sustainable difference, while having fun. Interested in learning about how you can save on your energy usage?  Did you know that it takes less water to run a full dishwasher than it does to wash dishes by hand?  We didn’t. For us coffee drinkers – we don’t have to throw away our grounds anymore. They are great for the soil! When was the last time you took a trip through your local thrift store.  You might be surprised to find some true treasures in previously owned and gently used items. We hope you will check it out.  In fact, we would love to hear, from you, ways in which you are saving time, energy, and doing things that are sustainable.  We will gladly share your ideas on our podcast and on our website.  We hope you find some gems in this episode. Listen in!

When you look in the mirror, who do you see?  If you’re like many people, you may be a bit self-critical. But is that self-awareness? Spend this Coaches Corner time with us, as we explore something that is foundational for everyone who leads (and that’s everyone!).  Leading yourself, with self-awareness, is inspirational and it serves as a model for others to become more self-aware. It leads to higher levels of emotional intelligence and greater decisions. It is also essential for employee engagement.  If you’re wondering how to build self-awareness (which is an ongoing process), listen in, and we will share ways in which you can do that.  It doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, it can be truly empowering, engaging, and can lead to greater self-confidence and compassion.  We hope you enjoy this episode.

Who do you belong to – and, who belongs to you? If these questions just stopped you, in your tracks, listen in to this week’s episode, where we spend nearly an hour with our new friend, Paul Haury, who shares his perspectives on the topic of true belonging.  Paul’s vitae includes being a practicing coach, consultant, former Global VP of People & Culture, former IT Director and much more!   Hang out with us, as Paul takes us on an expedition, in search of belonging in leadership, belonging as a foundation in culture, self-belonging, and belonging as a key to coping in challenging times. This is a great topic that goes deeper than you may have expected.  Ready to rewire your neuropathways a bit?  Spend this time with us and drink in Paul’s energy and enthusiasm on this most important topic. Enjoy!

Checking in with ourselves or, said another way, getting grounded was just one of many gems we gained, from Dorothy Siminovitch, PhD., founder and president of Gestalt Coaching Works. Our time with Dorothy was rich with insights and inspiration, much of which we will be unpacking for some time to come. With all the uncertainty that is swirling around us, these days, we felt it was a good idea to check in and see what other experts say about getting grounded and leading with confidence.  Listen in, as we unpack an article from Forbes on staying grounded in uncertain times.  The steps are foundational in the world of leadership, and they stand up over time.  If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know that leader vulnerability is a quality we value and it shows up, again, when we take steps to stay grounded.  Spend this time with us and learn more about how keeping a broader perspective than your own and experimentation can help you lead with greater confidence.  Finally, hear about steps we take to gain or regain our grounding, in times of need.  Check it out – we believe you’ll be glad you did!  

If you listen to our podcast, you know that, at the end of each episode, we promise you future episodes with more fantastic guests.  Well, this week, we delivered on that promise.  Meet Dorothy Siminovitch, Ph.D., MCC.  Dr. Siminovitch is a pioneer and visionary, in the field of Gestalt–based coaching, the founder and president of Gestalt Coaching Works, and co-founder of multiple major coach training programs, internationally.  Listen in, as Dorothy shares her journey to now, starting out, without a true career plan, and, by following her interests, landing in the most fascinating roles that helped her find her place, at the forefront of game-changing coaching and development.  Learn about resistance to change and the role that presence plays, and how small steps can minimize resistance.  You will be introduced to a 2x2 model that can help us understand a bit more about why we experience resistance/reactions, in ourselves and/or from others.  Want to hear more about presence as a personal power?  This is truly an episode packed with valuable gems you won’t want to miss.  We think you’ll be glad you spent this hour with us.  

After spending a delightful hour with our friend, fellow podcaster (The Courage Effect) and  professional coach, Suzanne Weller, we decided to use courage for this episode, as we wanted to share our thoughts about courage during change.  If you are a regular listener of Lifting Leaders Podcast, you know that, in addition to interviews and Gems episodes, we also do Coaches Corners, where we unpack and offer tips and advice on various topics.  This week’s episode is really a Gems show with a touch of Coaches Corner thrown in. Listen in as we offer ways in which you can demonstrate courage toward effective change and results.  Need a roadmap for moving from concept/idea to effective change outcomes?   Looking for a real growth mindset approach for conducting after action meetings that can lead to more engaged next steps? Are you ready to enable greater growth and development for your team?  Well, if this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, listen in and learn some fairly simple methods that can change your outlook on change.  We hope you feel more informed and comfortable with your current and/or future change steps.

Who says two podcast cohosts can’t interview another podcast host?  Not your Lifting Leaders Podcast hosts.  This week we are excited to interview Suzanne Weller, leadership coach, speaker, change practitioner, communication strategist, and host of the podcast, The Courage Effect. Suzanne gifted us with her wisdom, stemming from experiences that paved the way for her to help leaders (and everyone is a leader) overcome what gets in their way of leading courageously. Listen in as she shares her story of recognizing her own courage. Want some advice on how to lead with more courage and possibility?  If you want to learn more about the role that courage plays in true leadership, join us…meet Suzanne and learn how she defines leadership. 

Once again, we had a great time, interviewing Melissa Castro, Millennial Leadership Coach and Author of the newly launched book, Intrinsic Leadership – A Coaching Guide for Millennials Who Want To Lead in All Aspects of Life. Melissa gifted us so many gems related to her book, that it was difficult to settle on just one…but we did! If you listened to the previous episode, you heard Melissa talk about how, many Millennial leaders walk around with a “backpack of crap” – all the stuff that becomes a heavy weight, like doubts, fears, world events, everything…those very things that can stall or prevent leaders from moving forward, doing their best work and that are, most often, the sources of anxiety and fear.  Listen in, as we unpack a related article, and lend our own thoughts and ideas to the twelve things you might consider doing, to unload your own backpack of unneeded/unwanted “stuff.”  We think you’ll find most steps are pretty foundational, some might even be simple to navigate…all are positive steps toward discovering your own intrinsic leadership self. Check it out!