Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Fortuitous Encounters

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Shani Byard from Los Angeles. Dr. Shani has her Doctorate of Education and is the CEO of her own consulting company called Legacy Refresh where she provides empowerment coaching, inclusive leadership development consulting and facilitation, and organizational culture and transition strategy.

Shani is by far one of the best leaders I have ever worked for in my life! My fortuitous encounter with Shani began in the fall of 2021 when I applied for a job on her workforce development team.

Shani focuses on reframing and being intentional to create deep and meaningful connections. Her ability to understand others and her humility to learn from others is a great example to me. She reminds us that leadership is a privilege and connecting is essential in order to serve those we are leading!

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Shawn Vainio up in Girdwood, Alaska. Dr. Vainio currently works for the Yukon Kuskokwin Health Corporation in the Native Alaskan village of Bethel. When Shawn is not working in Bethel he is with his wife, Annjannette, and daughter, Anja, in Girdwood, AK skiing, hiking, biking, or exploring other parts of the world.

Shawn has been on over 15 medical expeditions in the Himalayas, spent 7 months at a research station in Antarctica as the only clinician, and focused most of his career in rural medicine. He was the Alaska Family Doctor of the Year in 2022 and he was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year by the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2023. Not a bad reference for my graduate school application!

My fortuitous encounter with Shawn was in early 2020 where we created and put on the first and second Annual Alaskan Improving Diagnostic Accuracy in Medicine Virtual Conferences. Shawn treated me as an equal, checked in with me regularly, and helped me to see the importance of the work we were doing.

Shawn describes deep connections and holistic relationships being like the deep roots of a tree. He encourages people to "Just Make it Happen" saying if you take advantage of opportunities and establish relationships, things will be offered to you!

In this episode Steve Murray eloquently shares with us so many good people-leader nuggets in this episode! He also discusses how synergy can be created when we are willing to put ourselves out there and share our stories.

I know Steve from our graduate school program at Gonzaga University in Organizational Leadership. Our fortuitous encounter was that we were in our first class together in August 2023 called "Foundations of Leadership".

Then, last summer, we both took the course "Leadership and Hardiness". At the end of the summer term, our class met up in person to climb Mount Adams, the second highest peak here in Washington State. You really become good friends with someone when you take a class called Hardiness and attempt to climb up a mountain together.

In this episode, I speak with Pastor Judy Peterson, also known as The Walking Pastor because she walked across the United States in 1999 from the west coast of Washington state ending on the east coast of Miami, Florida.

She has mentored and cared for so many humans over her lifetime. Pastor Judy currently runs a nonprofit called Haecceitas Inc. (sounds like Heckseeyatoss) which is Latin for "thisness". Through this organization Judy pastors people who have left the traditional confines of the church. 

Judy shares with us how connection is possible when we are open and vulnerable. By remembering our humanity, we can create safe places for people to be their fullest, truest versions of ourselves.