Category Archives: Personal Development

Posted on

503: Leadership Lessons Drawn From the Wisdom of Mom with Valerie Cockerell

by

Over 500 episodes in, and it’s still possible for there to be firsts. This episode brings with it a special milestone; one that includes having featured—for the first time—three members of the same family.

valerie cockerell

In previous episodes I’ve enjoyed having on Lee Cockerell and Dan Cockerell (father and son, respectively) to talk about their books.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome Lee’s daughter-in-law, and Dan’s wife, Valerie Cockerell.

Valerie’s new book is called Manage Like a Mother: Leadership Lessons Drawn From the Wisdom of Mom.

Leadership doesn’t have to be complicated, Valerie says. Mothers have known this all along as they practice their own no-nonsense form of leadership.

In Manage like a Mother, Valerie shares common-sense principles for anyone seeking to be an effective leader. She explains how raising children, nurturing their development, multitasking as only a mother does, managing conflicts, dealing with teenagers and being a great role model are some of the essential skills that leaders can easily apply to their professional working environments—with proven success. 

You don’t need to look much further than your own childhood to know what works and what doesn’t. Valerie’s book shows you how applying moms’ best practices can reap the best results for any organization.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Valerie and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Continue Reading »
Posted on

502: Learning to Get Past Your Past with Jason VanRuler

by

Today’s guest and I seem to have a lot in common, and I’m so glad I was given the chance to meet him and interview him about his book. I think it’s one you definitely need to read for yourself.

jason vanruler

His name is Jason VanRuler, and his book is called Get Past Your Past: How Facing the Broken Places Leads to True Connection.

Your brokenness, Jason Says, is not the end of the story. It’s time to heal.

Any of us can get stuck in our struggle. Jesus came to set us free and give us life–abundant life–but while we believe it for everyone else, it’s hard to accept his forgiveness and grace for ourselves. We continue in our old ways, living as one with no hope because we’re afraid of failing if we try to get better.

But what if brokenness–the array of behaviors and symptoms that show us that all is not as it should be with us–isn’t all there is? What if we can change?

As a licensed therapist and a man who’s dealt with his own problems–including childhood trauma, alcohol abuse, drug use, and bouts of depression–Jason VanRuler understands what you’re going through. In Get Past Your Past, he offers empathy, grace, and a hand to hold as he shares from his own places of brokenness and his professional knowledge

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Jason and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Continue Reading »
Posted on

501: Discover Who You Already Are, Who You Want to Be, and How to Ensure Others See You That Way with Aliza Licht

by

Today’s guest, a former fashion executive, successfully turned her communications expertise into a multimedia brand and consultancy. And today, you and I have the privilege of learning from her years of experience.

Her name is Aliza Licht, and her latest book is called On Brand: Shape Your Narrative, Share Your Vision, Shift Their Perception.

How you show up in person, over email, and on social media, Aliza says, communicates your personal brand. That brand deserves thoughtful cultivation and crafting as you shape your narrative, build your network, grow your confidence, and plot your future.

This book is for the new graduate seeking their first job, the middle manager looking to level up, the executive who wants to become more notable, the entrepreneur building from scratch, the person who wants to pivot to a new career, the social media influencer who is their own brand—it’s for anyone who wants to affect the way people perceive them and feel proud when they hear the words “that’s so on brand for you.”

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Aliza and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Continue Reading »
Posted on

497: How to Create Self-Leading Teams That Win with Kyle Buckett and Chris Mefford

by

One is a retired Navy SEAL. The other is an award-winning business executive. Together they’ve built a company called Culture Force. Dare I say both the company and their new book is a force to be reckoned with.

Kyle Buckett and Chris Mefford

Their new book (released August 29, 2023), has quickly become a favorite among those in my Read to Lead Community online. It’s easy to see why.

Leadership as it is, just isn’t working. Say Chris and Kyle, despite the countless seminars, courses, and management books designed to hone good leaders, over 79% of employees leave their jobs due to poor leadership. Why is this happening? Chris and Kyle argue that organizations need more than just leaders. They need successful teams.

Both Chris and Kyle are passionate about how our leadership model has failed and spotlight a new work culture that actually works. In their book, they draw on the SEAL model and on their decades of knowledge and experience coaching industry leaders to answer the question: what makes a productive team? The surprising truth is that behind every successful team is a cadre of empowered, self-starting employees.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Chris and Kyle’s and their work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Continue Reading »
Posted on

495: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action with Eduardo Briceño

by

When the topic of the book your writing centers around mindset, and the one and only Carol Dweck (author of Mindset: The Psychology of Success) gives it a glowing endorsement, then yours is a book worth paying attention to.

eduardo briceño

Such is the case for my guest today, Eduardo Briceño. His new book, out now, is called The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action.

To succeed in a fast-changing world, Eduardo says, individuals and companies know they must create a culture of growth, where experimentation and feedback are encouraged, and learning is integrated into the everyday. Yet we often get stuck in a well-worn pattern of habits that don’t move us forward. Why?

Because many of us get trapped in the Performance Paradox: the counterintuitive phenomenon that if we focus only on performing, our performance suffers.

How can we give ourselves the space to experiment and grow while also delivering high-level results? That is the ultimate question Eduardo’s book, and today’s episode, attempt to answer.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Eduardo and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Continue Reading »