In this transformative episode, Lyndsay Dowd sits down with Dr. Iris Crawford, the world's leading authority on the Pre-Hormone System and one of the most trusted voices in women's hormonal health. Known as The Hormone Boss, Dr. Crawford reveals the truth about menopause, perimenopause, burnout, fatigue, and why conventional medicine is still operating from outdated hormonal science.

Dr. Crawford opens up about her journey from growing up in poverty to becoming a nationally recognized naturopathic physician dedicated to empowering women with real answers. She explains why most women enter menopause already hormonally imbalanced—and why a "just do HRT" approach is not only incomplete but can be ineffective or harmful.

This episode breaks down the stress response system, the pre-hormone system, and why accurate hormone ratio testing is the missing key to helping women reclaim their energy, mood, and mental clarity. Dr. Crawford outlines her proven six-month protocol, designed to repair hormone production at the root.

Whether you're navigating hormonal changes, burnout, or searching for answers your doctor can't explain, this episode will leave you informed, empowered, and hopeful.



In this fascinating episode of Heartbeat for Hire, host Lyndsay Dowd sits down with Brian Galke, a communication strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of Subtle Skills, to explore the science of face reading, body language, and connection in an increasingly digital world.

Known as The Decoding Detective, Brian reveals how understanding facial features can unlock deeper human connection and more effective communication — whether you're in leadership, sales, or just trying to better understand the people around you.

From overcoming social anxiety to managing a $40M book of business, Brian's journey proves that anyone can learn to decode others and communicate with confidence. He breaks down the subtle cues that reveal how people process information, make decisions, and prefer to be spoken to — and how applying these tools can make you more influential, authentic, and connected.

📌 Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: The Importance of Human Connection and AI

00:25 – Episode Teasers: Reading Faces, Influence, and Confidence

00:54 – Meet Brian Galke, The Decoding Detective

01:54 – Overcoming Social Anxiety and Finding His Mentor

02:38 – The Skeptic's Challenge: Debunking Face Reading

04:44 – The Disarming Accuracy of Facial Decoding

06:37 – The Lost Art: Face Reading in English Universities

07:09 – How Decoding Works in Sales and Leadership

11:23 – Deep Dive 1: What Ears Reveal About Adaptability

12:53 – How Learning Can Literally Change Your Features

14:56 – Deep Dive 2: Eye Angles and Communication Style

27:47 – Why We Naturally Look at Eyebrows First

28:50 – The Inspiration Behind Subtle Skills

32:31 – Teaching the Next Generation to Communicate

33:51 – Sharing Your Story and Building Your Tribe

35:06 – Exploring New Skills and Vibe Code

36:38 – How to Connect with Brian Galke

37:15 – Closing Thoughts 👤 About the Guest Brian Galke is a communication strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of Subtle Skills, where he teaches people how to decode others — their faces, conversations, and connection styles — to improve communication and influence. After overcoming social anxiety early in his career, a mentor introduced Brian to the concept of Decoding Facial Features — a framework revealing how people naturally process information and communicate.

Combining it with body language, active listening, and statement analysis, Brian built a proven system for reading people and connecting authentically. These same skills helped him rise to Regional VP of Sales, managing a $40 million book of business before launching Subtle Skills. Today, he's a sought-after speaker who's shared stages with Chris Voss, Brad Lea, Janine Driver, Steve Sims, and Greg Reid.

🌐 Connect with Brian:

Website: https://subtleskills.com

LinkedIn:   / briangalke  

Instagram:   / subtleskills  

Facebook:   / subtleskills  

YouTube:    / @subtleskills  

👩‍💼 About the Host Lyndsay Dowd is a Speaker, Founder, Author, Coach, Podcast Host—and unapologetic Disruptor. With 30 years of leadership experience, including 23 at IBM, she's built and led high-performing teams that consistently delivered results. She also served as a Guest Lecturer at Harvard University, sharing her insights on modern leadership and culture transformation.

As the founder of Heartbeat for Hire, Lyndsay helps companies ditch toxic leadership and build irresistible cultures that drive performance, retention, and impact. She's been featured in Fortune Magazine, HR.com, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and over 100 podcasts.

Lyndsay is a two-time best selling author of Top Down Culture and Voices of Women, and the host of the globally ranked and 2X awarded Heartbeat for Hire podcast—sitting in the top 2.5% worldwide. She is also the host of a weekly live show called THE LEADERSHIP LOUNGE. Lyndsay is a frequent speaker, moderator, and guest, known for her candor, humor, and ability to spark action.

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#leadershippodcast #HeartbeatForHire #BrianGalke #SubtleSkills #LyndsayDowd #CommunicationSkills #FaceReading #LeadershipDevelopment #BodyLanguage #Influence #HumanConnection #DecodingPeople #PersonalDevelopment #AuthenticLeadership #SalesTraining #SoftSkills #EmotionalIntelligence #BusinessPodcast #Networking #ConfidenceBuilding #DecodeOthers

Chris Schembra, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, keynote speaker, and one of the leading voices on the power of gratitude and human connection in the workplace. In a world where over half the workforce feels lonely and nearly 8 out of 10 people are disengaged at work, Chris offers a radical but refreshingly simple idea: the key to thriving isn't pushing people harder, it's helping them feel seen, appreciated, and connected. He's the creator of the 7:47 Gratitude Experience™, a framework used by hundreds of companies like Google, Microsoft, IBM, Dell, Citi, and even the U.S. Navy to build trust, deepen relationships, and create cultures of belonging. Over the past decade, Chris has facilitated more than 750 transformative experiences, helping thousands of professionals slow down, reconnect, and rediscover what truly matters. Known as "The Gratitude Guru" by USA Today, Chris is also the author of Gratitude and Pasta and Gratitude Through Hard Times. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Good Morning America, Forbes, Fast Company, and more, and he serves on the Executive Board at Fast Company and as a Founding Member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council. Whether through a question, a story, or a plate of pasta, Chris's mission is clear: to help people unlock human potential, one meaningful moment at a time. To know more about Chris visit his website:

www.chrisschembra.com

David Meltzer is a legendary sports executive and formerly served as CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, which was the inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire.

He is one of the world's top Entrepreneurs, Investors and Business coaches. David has been recognized by Variety Magazine as their Sports Humanitarian of the Year and awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

David is the Executive Producer of the Apple TV series 2 Minute Drill and Office Hours. He is also the executive producer of Entrepreneur's #1 digital business show, Elevator Pitch.

David is featured in many books, movies, and TV shows such as World's Greatest Motivators, Think and Grow Rich and Beyond the Secret featured on Netflix.

His life's mission is to empower OVER 1 BILLION people to be happy! This simple yet powerful mission has led him on an incredible journey to provide one thing… VALUE.

In all his content, and communication that's exactly what you'll receive.

You can learn more about David at his website:

https://dmeltzer.com

or on Linkedin:

@davidmeltzer2

Olivia Atkin is a podcaster, author and successful entrepreneur. Her book, Achieving Success in Career Development, has inspired readers with her insightful perspectives and practical advice.

As an entrepreneur, she has built her own successful business, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps. Olivia creatively carved a path for herself from athlete to managing sports teams resulting in work with the New York Giants and the "FROZEN FOUR" National Champion Quinnipiac University Hockey Team.

Join us as we hear her story of resilience and how she's built an incredible career for herself.

Olivia has countless degrees and certifications under her belt including a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and a minor in Sports Studies from Quinnipiac University, a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Supply Chain, certification in Society for Human Resource Management Certified Practitioner and many more!

To learn more about Olivia, you can go to her website:

https://achieving-success.com

or on Linkedin:

@oliviaatkin

Meredith Scott Lynn is a "familiar but not famous" film and television actress with an IMDB list a mile long.

You may recognize her as Enid Wexler, the "lesbian against drunk driving" in Legally Blonde, the Credit Vixen in A Night At The Roxbury, from any one of many other movies from smaller independent ones, she produced, and even directed, and countless television shows too many to mention here.

As founder & CEO of a WRiTE BRAiN WORLD, where her mission is to foster self-esteem in young people and a renewed sense of inspiration in the educators who support them, by offering innovative curricula and resources that help youth of all ages discover and develop their own ideas while engaging in joyful and meaningful literacy-building experiences that increase their capacity to connect while giving them voice & choice in their learning.

As a social entrepreneur, Meredith is sometimes more of a Curly Executive Officer than a Chief one, which makes for a good conversation in Podcasts.

To learn more about Meredith, you can go to her website:

https://writebrainworld.com

or Linkedin:

@ meredith-scott-lynn-7a344748

Heidi Ridley is the Co-Founder, CEO and Chair of the Board of RadiantESG Global Investors, culminating 30 years of leadership in asset management roles that encompass business management, investments, product development, institutional and intermediary business development and marketing.

Prior to establishing RadiantESG Heidi spent 18 years at AXA Investment Managers, rising to Global Chief Executive of Rosenberg Equities, and under her direction, Rosenberg Equities substantially added to its reputation by becoming the first ESG-integrated quantitative equity investor to be focused on the intersection of ESG insights and advanced factor solutions. 

Heidi earned her bachelor's degree in Economics from UC Berkeley, completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Education Program, and is a CFA Charterholder.

She is a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Equity Gender and Leadership at the UC Berkeley HAAS School of Business, is a champion of ESG investing and a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, expanding the dialogue through speaking engagements worldwide.

Kevin D. Turner is Managing Partner of TNT Brand Strategist, a technology and business-focused organizational and personal brand builder with deep expertise in visioneering, communications, culture building, and creating disruptive advantages.

Kevin has optimized 4.7K+ LinkedIn profiles/company pages & trained 12K+ people on best practices since 2005.

Achieved LinkedIn 5 Star Rating & 200+ written recommendations. He has lived in the US, Switzerland, Germany & Japan and has crowdsourced & fundraised $25.3M.

He has held Sales, Marketing, and Branding leadership roles with SONY, American Teachers, American Heart Association and more. 

To learn more about Kevin, go to his website:

https://tntbrandstrategist.com

or

on Linkedin:

@president

Derek Strokon is the 2x International Best-Selling Author of "Stop Stalling Start Selling" and "Human Being Human".

He is a TEDx Speaker, Leader and Business Consultant whose practice focuses on Resilience Development and Process Implementation.

He is the Chief Inspiration Officer of Sacred Line Consulting, President of "Every Day Human", "CEO of Polar Cold Caps Canada" & Founder of the "Kindness Cures".

Derek spends the majority of his education development time, studying Resilience and Hero Culture, working on strategies to minimize the amount of time that life interferes with living. You can learn more about Derek on his website:

https:// derekstrokon.com

or on Linkedin:

@derekstrokon

David Kitchen/Coach Kitch is the Founder and President of Edge Leadership Academy.

He is a former Division 1 Coach, and a PhD Candidate with a master's degree in sport psychology, who has a decade of experience building leaders, culture, and mindset at the highest levels of sports and business.

He is the author of The Pyramid: A System for Building Tomorrow's Leaders Today, and The Scoreboard: A Self-Audit System to Help You Build the Life You Want.

As a speaker, consultant, and coach, Coach Kitch is trusted by 100+ CEO's, coaches, and high performers to help them lead and win in business, athletics, and life.

To learn more about David, you can go to his website:

https://edgeleadershipacademy.com

or on Linkedin:

@dkitch

Ania Halama is a world traveler who has helped thousands of heart-centered individuals align with their ideal clients to attract wealth, health, love, mental health, and spiritual wealth. 

Ania started out working a corporate job that left her living paycheck to paycheck. Exhausted and worn out, she was limited to her dreams of a better life.

Today, Ania is a #MillennialManifestor, Spiritual Mentor, Plant Medicine Facilitator, Integration Coach & Intuitive Digital Artist.

She is also an intuitive Healer, Reiki Master, Angel Healer, EFT Certified Practitioner, Ho'oponopono Master, Akashic Records reader, Angel Card Intuitive and Law of Attraction master.

Entrepreneur Magazine listed Ania as a Top Millennial Powerhouse and US Reporter has listed Ania as one of the top 10 entrepreneurs to follow.

Ania is a two-time best-selling author of the book 'Rebel's Guide to Spirituality' and 'Women Gone Wild the Wealth Edition'. She is the host of the Awaken Your Inner Alchemy Podcast, and is the founder of Xpansion Alchemy.

To learn more about Ania, you can find her at her website:

https://aniahalama.com

or on Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/aniahalama

Jenn Drummond is a Mom of 7, successful business owner and World Record holder. 

As the first woman to climb the second highest summits on each of the 7 continents, she now spends her time inspiring others to create a thriving business and lasting legacy of their own.

She shares her story and strategies for success through her book, Quit Proof: 7 Strategies to Build Resilience and Achieve Your Life Goals, and her Seek Your Summit podcast, programs, and signature talks.

Learn more about how she elevates devoted and determined entrepreneurs to go beyond a life of success to a life of significance.

To learn more about Jenn, you can find her at her website:

https://jenndrummond.com

or on Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/jenn-drummond

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who empowers business leaders to inspire their teams and clients to action through the art of strategic storytelling.

Matt's past engagements in the private sector have catalyzed radical sales increases for over 300 organizations that range from financial institutions to the health and wellness industry.

In addition to his work in the private sector, Matt has worked with hundreds of politicians to improve the quality and reach of their engagement.

Matt worked closely with these clients on their media and communication strategies, including speeches and campaign messages at the local, state, and national level, to achieve remarkable results.

Matt shares his expertise in persuasion with CEOs, executives, and sales professionals, who he coaches on the art of influence and how to leverage this for profits and impact.

To find out more about Matt, you can find him at:

Website:

https://storieswithtraction.com

or

on Linkedin:

@mattzaun

Scott Jacoby is a Grammy Award-winning Writer, Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Musician and Recording Artist. His work – spanning all media and virtually every genre of music – has garnered awards, graced platinum-selling albums and topped charts throughout the world. John Legend, Coldplay, Vampire Weekend, Sia, Jason Mraz, Janelle Monae, Pink, Aloe Blacc, Natasha Bedingfield, Moses Sumney, Laura Izibor, Stormzy, Ty Dolla Sign, Rachel Platten, Jose James, Rozzi, Vanessa Hudgens, Fabolous, Jackie Evancho, SZA, Allen Stone, Chimene Badi, Naturally 7, Son Little, Ronnie Spector and Cory Henry are a few of his diverse and notable collaborations.

An acclaimed Composer, Scott has scored and engineered award-winning feature-length films (New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization, The Immigrant, My Last Day Without You), documentaries (Frontline's Policing The Police, CNBC's Escape From Havana, Doped – The Dirty Side of Sports), television shows (Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Shield, Book Of Pooh), and national television commercials (Old Navy, Oscar De La Renta, Jansport) for the world's leading studios, film-makers and brands.

Scott is the Founder/President of EUSONIA – a family of progressive music industry enterprises which includes a state-of-the-art recording studio in Manhattan (Eusonia Records), an independent record label featuring Grammy-winning and nominated artists (Eusonia Studios), and a world-class recording equipment company (Eusonia Audio). Scott is also the CEO of his production company, SCOJAC Music Productions.

To know more about Scott visit his website:

Scott Jacoby is a Grammy Award-winning Writer, Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Musician and Recording Artist. His work – spanning all media and virtually every genre of music – has garnered awards, graced platinum-selling albums and topped charts throughout the world. John Legend, Coldplay, Vampire Weekend, Sia, Jason Mraz, Janelle Monae, Pink, Aloe Blacc, Natasha Bedingfield, Moses Sumney, Laura Izibor, Stormzy, Ty Dolla Sign, Rachel Platten, Jose James, Rozzi, Vanessa Hudgens, Fabolous, Jackie Evancho, SZA, Allen Stone, Chimene Badi, Naturally 7, Son Little, Ronnie Spector and Cory Henry are a few of his diverse and notable collaborations. An acclaimed Composer, Scott has scored and engineered award-winning feature-length films (New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization, The Immigrant, My Last Day Without You), documentaries (Frontline's Policing The Police, CNBC's Escape From Havana, Doped – The Dirty Side of Sports), television shows (Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Shield, Book Of Pooh), and national television commercials (Old Navy, Oscar De La Renta, Jansport) for the world's leading studios, film-makers and brands. Scott is the Founder/President of EUSONIA – a family of progressive music industry enterprises which includes a state-of-the-art recording studio in Manhattan (Eusonia Records), an independent record label featuring Grammy-winning and nominated artists (Eusonia Studios), and a world-class recording equipment company (Eusonia Audio). Scott is also the CEO of his production company, SCOJAC Music Productions.

Website:

www.scojac.com

www.cantinuummusic.com

Cicely is a seasoned public operative, now working with her fourth Presidential Administration.

She has also served in prominent roles such as Legislative Director for two Tennessee Congressmen, and veteran of the C-suite, formerly as Vice President of Government Affairs at Dunkin' Brands, Inc., formerly as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the restaurant industry.

Her experience at all levels of government and expertise in the boardroom allows her to speak with authority on the public and private sectors as well as their countless intersections.

To find out more about Cicely, you can find her at:

Website:

https://cicelysimpson.com

or

on Linkedin:

@cicelysimpson

Celeste Mergens a global thought leader helping people be the change they want to be in the world.

She is an author, sought-after speaker, consultant, and the founder of Days for Girls, a global award-winning organization. Days for Girls has reached more than 3 million women and girls in 145 countries, championing Women's Health and menstrual equity.

She has been featured in Oprah's O Magazine and Forbes and has been named Conscious Company Global Impact Entrepreneur Top Ten Women, and Women's Economic Forum's Woman of the Decade, to name a few.

Her highly anticipated new book, The Power of Days–A Story of Resilience, Dignity, and The Fight for Women's Equity comes out October 3rd, sharing proof that we can all make a difference.

To find out more about Celeste, you can find her at:

Website:

https://celestemergens.com

or

on Linkedin:

@celeste-mergens

Henna Pryor is a highly sought after Workplace Performance Expert and an award-winning 2x TEDx and global keynote speaker, executive facilitator, and coach.

Her clients call her their "secret weapon for impossible change," an honor she wears proudly. She's known for her science-backed approach to improving the performance, habits, and actions of hungry high achievers – in her fun, no-nonsense, no-jargon way – to move them from their first level of success to their next one.

An accomplished speaker and trainer, she has been invited to speak twice for TEDx and brings her expertise to a variety of global organizations including Google, Workday, FIS Global, and Johnson & Johnson.

She has also been featured in articles for media including Forbes, Real Simple, Fast Company, and more. Her highly anticipated book, Good Awkward, is out now!

To learn more about Henna, you can go to her Linkedin profile:

@hennapryor

or

you can go to her website:

https://hennapryor.com

Sam Horn is the CEO of the Intrigue Agency, a positioning/messaging consultancy, which helps people design and deliver TEDx talks, keynotes, funding pitches and one-of-a-kind brands.

She is also the CEO of the Tongue Fu! Training Institute, a trade-marked communication skills approach, that teaches how to give and get respect at work, at home, online and in public.

Sam is the author of 10 books from major publishers and her newest book Talking on Eggshells received a glowing Publishers Weekly review "The course-correct for today's cancel culture."

Sam's work has been featured in dozens of publications including NY Times, Forbes, Fast Company and Harvard Business Review.

Sam served as the Pitch Coach for Springboard Enterprises which has helped entrepreneurs generate $27.8 billion (yes, that's a B) in funding.

To learn more about Sam Horn, you can go to her Linkedin profile:

@samhorn

or

you can go to her website:

https://samhorn.com

Dr. Julia A. West is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, executive coach, and Director of Science & Content at Limitless Minds.

With over a decade-long career in Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology, she is a seasoned expert in unlocking mental performance, fostering resilience, and promoting well-being.

She is also owner of both a private practice providing psychological treatment services AND the owner of a private executive coaching practice.

Her distinguished career has led her to work with industry giants such as U.S. Bank, Docusign, WorkDay, Pfizer, MassMutual, and numerous integrated healthcare networks enhancing team dynamics and collaboration through resilience and mindset training.

Her motto 'Memento Mori' - a constant reminder to make every moment count - mirrors her passion for her work, her family, and the joy she finds in life's simple pleasures.

To learn more about Dr. Julia West, you can go to her Linkedin profile:

@julia-west-phd-73177b22b

or

you can go to her Instagram profile:

@dr.juliawest

Chason Forehand is part of a group of dedicated individuals who started a Nonprofit called hr-4uinc. that fights for #LivingWage4ALL by showing leaders the ROI of pouring into their people and paying them equitable wages. 

In 2012 Chason started a company, HR Consultations that works solely with Social Good Entities with their HR needs.  With his program called #Mentor4GOOD, they mentor Nonprofit Founders and Leaders with starting their own Nonprofits get off the ground on solid footing. 

Chason introduces leaders to programs that will increase their profits, help them upskill, and course correct their organization through a joint program with our Partners called the P|E|O|P|L|E Initiative. 

Chason is also a part of American Corporate Partners program to help our Veterans successfully transition into civilian life. And aside from that, Chason is my friend.

To learn more about Chason, you can go to his website:

hr-4u.org

or

you can go to his Linkedin profile: @chason-forehand-rcf1222

Rebecca (Becca) Kinney, worked in healthcare for 16 years and is a self-proclaimed recovering workaholic.  Today she is a writer and an entrepreneur and owns a small business called Cypress, Inc. that helps medical companies tell their stories on LinkedIn.

In 2018 Becca suffered the unexpected loss of both her parents and the grief is something she wanted to turn into inspiration for others. Leaving corporate medical sales in 2021 was a tough call but Becca has a mission to help professionals truly learn to navigate self discovery.

In January 2023 she started a newsletter called Unraveled that discusses how as professionals, we can begin to unwind and start to express ourselves in a way that is relatable and maybe even a bit unpolished to succeed in ways we never thought possible before.

Together she believes we can unravel and become even more successful than ever before. 

To learn more about Rebecca, you can go to her Linkedin profile:

@rebecca-kinney-cypressrise

"You will be a javelin thrower," the coach for the Lithuanian national team told her. She had no idea what that meant.

But within two years, Inga Stasiulionyte was competing with the best. After reaching the finals in the European Championship, she was offered a scholarship to attend USC.

Years of experience in being a competitive Olympic athlete, working as a business analyst, building startups, and heading the first MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp provided Inga with a great understanding of the challenges and needs of striving for self-realization on and off the field.

Today, Inga's clients include Oracle, Salesforce, Facebook, HubSpot, finance and medical professionals, and Olympians. She prepared athletes to become European Champions, Olympians, National Record Holders, and founders at the top of their game.

Inga leads a startup Ofounders.com, specializing in performance coaching that helps leaders achieve superior results using Olympic-standard mindset development techniques.

She is also part of the Master Performance Coaches team at valorperform.com and the Lithuanian Athletics Federation.

To learn more about Inga, you can go to her Linkedin profile:

@javelingaworld

or

You can go to her website:

ofounders.com

Stephanie Soetendal is a passionate educator and entrepreneur focusing on evolving society through innovating education with a world-class curriculum & emerging technology while leveraging AI for Good.

The ultimate mission is to democratize education of the top 1% to US Public Schools and low-income countries via AI powered Holograms.

Awarded "Top 100 Leaders in Education" by Global Forum for Education and Learning & awarded for "Outstanding Leadership" with Education 2.0 in Dubai.

Fourteen years of experience in education, curriculum development, management, and administration in the tutoring and education profession.

Stephanie is the founder of Matrix Holograms, a Boston based EdTech start-up democratizing tutoring with AI powered holograms with curriculum developed by Ivy League tutoring experts with an adaptable, versatile, and scalable educational platform for individualized learning.

To learn more about Stephanie, you can go to her Linkedin profile:

@stephanie-hologram

or

You can go to her website:

matrixholograms.com

Ray Leonard Jr., founder and CEO of Ovationz.com is a globally recognized public speaker, actor, award-winning business executive, and host for the podcast show: Know Better Do Better.

Instilled in him by his Grandfather, Ray's core value is 'know better, do better'. Ray brings this belief into everything he does, from coaching, to public speaking, to running businesses.
Ray is an expert Public Speaker and helped found Ovationz.com, the premier platform where professional and emerging speakers can connect with audiences across the globe, virtually.

He wanted to create a space for accessible learning, where audiences can book top experts, entertainers, and leaders and where speakers can develop and monetize their talent.

To learn more about Ray, you can go to his Linkedin profile:

@rayleonardjr

or

You can go to his websites:

rayleonardjr.com

ovationz.com

Keren Eldad ("Coach Keren") is a top executive coach helping high achievers—from Olympic athletes to Fortune 500 leaders—reach extraordinary success. As the bestselling author of GILDED: Break Free From the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More, she challenges ambitious individuals to redefine success on their own terms. As the founder of THE CLUB, Keren empowers high performers to unlock their full potential. Recognized as a Top Ten Executive Coach by the ICF, Real Leaders Magazine, and Goop, she holds advanced degrees from The London School of Economics and the University of Jerusalem. A former C-suite executive with experience in 17 countries, she coaches in English, Spanish, Hebrew, and French. With over 500,000 TEDx views and a global speaking presence, Keren's insights inspire leaders worldwide. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Ryan, and their beloved pets. To know more about Keren visit her website and socials:

Website - https://kereneldad.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachkeren

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/coachkeren

Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coached-with-coach-keren/id1467079024

Growing up in a single parent home with a father that inspired perseverance and fairness, Marques Ogden learned how to define his values and set goals. Ogden attended Howard University from 1998-2002 where he played Division I football.

He then followed his dream and his brother Jonathan's footsteps, eventually getting drafted into the NFL in 2003. Overall, he played for 5 years as an offensive lineman with the Titans, Bills, Ravens and Jaguars. Even during the off season, Ogden helped train football players in Europe, both physically and mentally.

To learn more about Marques, you can go to his Linkedin profile:

@marquesogden

or

You can go to his website:

marquesogden.com

Billy Martin is a Senior Director for Strategic Programs and Leadership Development at Medidata Solutions as well as the creator of FLIP'D Coaching for Performance.

The FLIP'D framework has been experienced by over 4000 corporate leaders around the world since it's inception. Billy spent 10 years at Salesforce.com before coming to Medidata. 

He has a Masters Degree in Sports Medicine and an MBA degree in Technology Management. Billy co-founded several technology companies on his journey toward leadership development.

Billy has six Amazon.com Top Sellers on Sports Officiating and Business he loves teaching other aspiring referees / umpires — and does so for high school soccer and basketball, as well as collegiate softball. 

Tony Severino is a business leader, leadership skill developer, master facilitator and coach. He draws on the experience as a business leader and coach who led organizations at companies like Xerox, Salesforce and his own company.

He spent his time at Salesforce as director of sales leader enablement and program manager where Tony's team created and delivered the highest ranked, and award winning global leadership programs in the company's history. Tony has personally facilitated leader training for thousands of leaders at Salesforce.

Now at FLIP'D, Tony and Billy work with companies to develop their leaders at all levels within the organization using proven, engaging workshop content and coaching tools.

To learn more about Billy, you can go to his Linkedin profile:

@crmbilly

To learn more about Tony, you can go to his Linkedin profile:

@arsevr

or

You can go to their website:

flipdcoaching.com

Karl Swanepoel is an award winning tech entrepreneur based in the UK and the Founder and CEO of Revolancer and an influential figure in the freelancing industry.

He also founded Rocketblast Digital, The WatchFace and Buy Sell Jobs. Karl Co-founded – Leapinto and was CMO and interim CTO at Lifewill Limited.

At 15, he was the youngest-ever brand ambassador for Britain's largest business conference, The Business Show. He has also been directly involved in the European Parliament's roundtable on Modernising Europe's Workforce Well-Being Strategy. 

To learn more about Karl, you can go to his Linkedin profile

@karlswa

or visit him at his website:

https://revolancer.com

Joe Jacobi is an Olympic Gold Medalist, Performance Coach, Sports Commentator, Former CEO, marathoner and author who guides high performance leaders to ignite their second wind to confront challenging midlife transitions with meaning and adventure.

He practices and refines the core principles and strategies of Midlife Peak Performance in his own life and pursuits at his Pyrenees mountains home beside the 1992 Olympic Canoeing venue in the Spanish state of Catalunya - the same canoeing venue where he and his canoeing partner, Scott Strausbaugh, won America's first-ever Olympic Gold Medal in the sport of Whitewater Canoe Slalom at the 1992 Olympic Games.

In 2022, and eight years into writing his popular weekly essays, Sunday Morning Joe, Joe published his first book, Slalom: 6 River Classes About How To Confront Obstacles, Advance Amid Uncertainty, & Bring Focus To What Matters Most - Joe's reflections, experiences, relationships, and strategies from more than 40 years on the river transferred to navigating your river of the life.

To learn more about Joe, you can go his profile on Linkedin:⁠⁠

@jacobijoe

Subscribe to his Sunday newsletter:

https://joejacobi.ck.page/c5b7be8e26

Check out his book:

https://www.amazon.com/Slalom-Classes-Confront-Obstacles-Uncertainty/dp/B0B4WB1TZ2

Over the past 18 years Joshua Lifrak, M.S. has worked with elite athletes and corporate leaders to help them perform at their highest levels.

He has also been instrumental in helping transform organizational cultures and individual mindsets to create an environment for optimal development and growth.

He is currently the Director of Performance and Coaching for Limitless Minds a Health and Wellness Technology Company founded by Denver Broncos Quarterback Russell Wilson and World Renowned Mental Performance Training and author of It Takes What it Takes – the late Trevor Moawad.

He is also the President of Lift Up Consulting. From 2014-2019, he has worked in Major League Baseball including 5 years as Director of the Mental Skills Program for the Chicago Cubs from 2014-2019 where he helped them win their first World Series in 108 years.

From 2019-2021 he was the New York Mets Major League Mental Performance Coach.

To learn more about Joshua, you can go to his website:

⁠⁠https://limitlessminds.com/

or on Linkedin: @joshua-lifrak-59ab5442

Erin Aldrich-Shean is recognized as one of the top dual-sport professional athletes and Olympians of all time.

A 2000 US Olympian in track & field and a 2001-2004 and 2007 US National Volleyball Team member, Aldrich-Shean was a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

She was named Big XII Athlete of the Year in 2000 and finished her storied career at UT with 4 High Jump National Championships, a collegiate record of 6'5.5", and 8 First Team All-American honors in both Volleyball and Track & Field.

She also competed in 4 World Championships for USA Track & Field. Erin was inducted into the UT Austin Hall of Honor for her athletic and academic accomplishments as a Longhorn.

Today Erin is a Certified Professional Coach, the Founder of Ascension Coaching and Vice President of the Aldrich Group.

To learn more about Erin, you can go to her website:

⁠⁠https://ascensioncoaching.co/

or on Linkedin: @aldrich1227

Why is it easier to sell our products or services than it is to sell ourselves into a new sales role — or even get a promotion? After going through 5 Layoffs in medical sales and reviewing more than 16,000 resumes as a recruiter, Claire Davis built an award-winning company to help people get the jobs they want in healthcare by leaning into what they're great at — selling.

Her company Traction Resume, helps people land meaningful, 6-figure roles and launch their healthcare consulting companies by becoming a category-of-one, not a commodity.

Claire has been featured in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and been named a 2X Top Voice in Job Search and at home, she and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest with their two boys.

To learn more about Claire, you can go to her website: ⁠⁠https://tractionresume.com/

or

on Linkedin: @clairemdavis

Samantha McKenna, CEO of #samsales Consulting, is an award-winning sales leader, brand ambassador for LinkedIn, LinkedIn Sales [In]sider, angel investor, board member, and highly sought-after speaker. With more than 65,000 LinkedIn followers, Sam has inspired sales professionals with her tangible sales tips and actionable advice used daily by executives and teams alike.

Sam has been named a Top 50 Woman in Revenue, Top 25 Women in Revenue, Top 20 Women in Sales Leadership, appears as one of the faces of LinkedIn Sales Navigator's marketing campaigns, and has been named a Top Ten LinkedIn Sales Star several times over. Sam is dedicated to shining a light on her trademark Show Me You Know Me and #givefirst mantras - and together with her team, raised over $50,000 for charity in both 2021 and 2022 with the innovative #samsales 'Show Me You Know Me' Charity Event.

To learn more about Samantha, you can go to her website: ⁠⁠https://samsalesconsulting.com/

or

on Linkedin: @samsalesli

Running legend Dave McGillivray has increased the self-esteem of millions of people through his work as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, motivational speaker, author, and athlete.

Dave is best known for his athletic feats including his 80-day trek across the United States, running the 3,452 miles from Medford, Ore., to Medford, Mass. in the summer of 1978 to benefit the Jimmy Fund.

In addition, he's received great acclaim for directing or consulting on more than 1,400 events throughout the world including the Boston Marathon, the Olympic Marathon trials, and the Olympic Games.

To learn more about Dave, you can go to his website: ⁠⁠https://dmsesports.com/

or

on Linkedin: @dave-mcgillivray

Culture has become a phenomenon in the last few years and we've seen an uptick in strategic investment to make it work well, but there is still so much room for improvement. We see this broad spectrum of what culture can be and COVID has just magnified what that means and how we can foster a strong culture in different environments. 

This week's guest is Lisa Belanger, CEO and Founder of ConsciousWorks. Lisa joins Heartbeat For Hire for an engaging conversation on how can we create a space of belonging within your organization to get people leaning into their jobs from a productivity and performance perspective as well as a mental health and wellbeing perspective. The episode covers how to find commonalities and universal truths, tools for working with a team member who is struggling with burnout in silence, and low cost or no cost ways to help your people feel accommodated and seen.

Lisa is the CEO of ConsciousWorks, a consulting firm that helps leaders apply the findings from leading-edge scientific research to maximize their mental capacity and performance. Lisa has a Ph.D. in Behavioural Medicine, an Executive MBA, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist and High Performance Specialist.

Riley Tejcek, a native of Carmel, Indiana, grew up with a passion for sports from the moment she could walk. She went on to play Division I softball at George Washington University, earning a degree in Political Science before commissioning into the United States Marine Corps. Today, Riley is a pilot with Team USA Bobsled and an Olympic hopeful for 2026. In her very first international competition, she captured two bronze medals in the North American Cup and has since competed in back-to-back World Championships. Her journey continues as she trains with determination to represent the United States on the world's biggest stage.

To know more about Riley visit her socials:

Instagram: @riley.tejcek

LinkedIn: @Riley Tejcek

Iris Zimmerman is a speaker, entrepreneur, business owner, podcast host, Hall of Fame Fencing Champion and former Olympian. She is a certified leadership and performance coach that owns Monarch Leadership Group.

Iris co-hosts the podcast Untrained with her colleague and friend, Whitney Otto. Her roster of clients include leaders from sales, healthcare, to startups and small business owners - all trying to find their own growth while simultaneously growing their businesses and teams.

Iris lives in Rochester, NY with her family and is dedicated to working with and impacting clients while being present to raise her two daughters to become badasses.

To learn more about Iris, you can go to her website: ⁠⁠https://monarch-leadership.com/

or

on Linkedin: @iriszimmerman

Kimberly Brady is a Life and Business Coach, Speaker, and a 2 Time Best Selling Author.  She channels athletic excellence to elevate small businesses and enhance the lives of entrepreneurs.

Kim has recently published "Get Stuck In! - Lessons from the Pitch to Build Your Business" and is a co-author on a collaborative project titled "Forever Athlete" - a collection of stories from high-level performers in both sport and life.

Her areas of expertise include working small business owners and entrepreneurs with less than 50 employees, athletes in transition from sport, team building, leadership development, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. To learn more about Kim, you can go to her website: ⁠

⁠https://kimbradybusinesscoaching.com/

or on Linkedin:

@kimbrady

Justin Janowski has helped hundreds of coaches build their dream businesses from the ground up. Driven by his faith, he founded Faith2Influence to help people learn what it takes to turn coaching into a profitable business venture.

Justin has guided Christian and non-Christian coaches alike through the rewarding process of optimizing business models, pricing, and sales strategies so that they can scale their income alongside their impact.

He has a passion for sharing this process with emerging Entrepreneurs to help them simplify and grow their businesses the right way. To learn more about Justin, you can go to his website: ⁠

⁠https://goodsalespdf.com/

or on Linkedin:

@justinjanowski

Andréa Albright is a seasoned entrepreneur, author of 28 books, a YouTube superstar and a woman with a track record of disruptive innovations who is on a mission to create the next movement for authors and evolve the publishing industry. Andrea is the Founder and CEO of Beverly Hills Publishing™.

She leverages her expertise in brand development to help thought leaders and innovators turn their message into a million-dollar brand. Because of this, she considers herself not just a publisher, but a Legacy Maker.

Her firm is the first in the industry to combine 7-star publishing, marketing, and PR services to ensure successful book launches that achieve both the tangible and intangible outcomes her authors are looking for.

To learn more about Andréa, you can go to her website: ⁠

⁠https://beverlyhillspublishing.com/

or on Facebook and Instagram:

@beverlyhillspublishing

Lex Gillette is a globally recognized Paralympian who competes primarily in the long jump. He's a five-time Paralympic medalist, four-time world champion, and the current world record holder in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet 1 inch.

Robbed of his sight during childhood, Lex Gillette, with the aid of his mother, was determined not to fall victim to a world consumed by darkness. His athletic talents have been featured by ESPN, Sports Illustrated, USA Today Sports, and People Magazine.

He is a 2015 inductee in the ADN Hall of Fame. As a keynote speaker, Lex's message is There is no need for sight when you have a vision®. He empowers his audiences to see more than just the physical world in front of them.

Prepare to be inspired and motivated, to learn who you really are, and how to become the person you desire to be. It's what Lex does. He ... Teaches ... People ... To ... See.

To learn more about Lex, you can follow him on Linkedin: ⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexgillette/

or on his website:

https://lexgillette.com

Lori Bush is a CEO, speaker and a woman committed to the science of skincare.  In 2007, Bush partnered with the founders of Rodan + Fields, to lead the company's pivot out of department stores and into the direct selling channel.

As CEO, Lori took the company from re-stage to the largest independent premium skincare brand in the U.S. At the time of her retirement in 2016, the company was valued at $1.5 Billion with continuing high double-digit YoY revenue growth.

In May of 2020, Lori launched Solvasa, a new company and a new category in wellness she calls integrative beauty. The company, co-founded with leading Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Ritu Chopra, was inspired by her post-retirement experience with breast cancer and based on recognition of macro trends with unmet needs in the areas of beauty and wellbeing.

Bush is frequently asked to share her professional knowledge as a speaker and writer in the areas of beauty, wellness, women's leadership and consumer commerce. She is co-author of the best-selling beauty and wellness book, Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change.

To learn more about Lori, you can follow her on Linkedin: ⁠

linkedin.com/in/lori-bush-1a5577a

Lori Bush is a CEO, speaker and a woman committed to the science of skincare.  In 2007, Bush partnered with the founders of Rodan + Fields, to lead the company's pivot out of department stores and into the direct selling channel.

As CEO, Lori took the company from re-stage to the largest independent premium skincare brand in the U.S. At the time of her retirement in 2016, the company was valued at $1.5 Billion with continuing high double-digit YoY revenue growth.

In May of 2020, Lori launched Solvasa, a new company and a new category in wellness she calls integrative beauty. The company, co-founded with leading Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Ritu Chopra, was inspired by her post-retirement experience with breast cancer and based on recognition of macro trends with unmet needs in the areas of beauty and wellbeing.

Bush is frequently asked to share her professional knowledge as a speaker and writer in the areas of beauty, wellness, women's leadership and consumer commerce. She is co-author of the best-selling beauty and wellness book, Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change.

To learn more about Lori, you can follow her on Linkedin: ⁠

linkedin.com/in/lori-bush-1a5577a

Want to learn how to take your sales, investor, or elevator pitches from trash to straight CASH?  Or have your prospects throwing money at you every time you open your mouth? 

Then, it's time to learn how to convert conversations into currency with the Pitch Queen, Precious L. Williams. Her company, Perfect Pitches by Precious, teaches you the tools and tenacity to pitch with power, sell with storytelling, and develop a masterful mindset for communication.

Precious is a 13-time national elevator pitch champion. She has also been featured on "Shark Tank," CNN, Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, Essence Magazine, the movie "LEAP."

Her current clients include Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google, NBCUniversal, Federal Reserve Bank, Intuit Quickbooks, Yelp, Harvard University, and more. Precious is a dynamic international professional speaker, effective corporate trainer and 4X bestselling author.

To learn more about Precious, you can go to her websites:

https://perfectpitchesbyprecious.com

https://perfectpitchgroup.com

or you can follow her on Linkedin: ⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/in/precious-l-williams/

Rebecca Ahmed is an award-winning speaker, business consultant, and an Energy Leadership Index™ Master Practitioner (ELI-MP), which is an exclusive training in human energy and how we can experience, express, and expand it in ourselves and others. Rebecca is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

To learn more about Rebecca, you can go to her website:

https://energeticimpact.com

or you can follow her on Linkedin: ⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-ahmed-802a9514/

How do you go from Undercover Prostitute to Empowerment Speaker and Trainer for leaders? After a debilitating accident that forced Diane to slow down led Diane to find her grit.  She had to shed her undercover persona both in work and in life and through a series of terrible experiences she discovered her true power. 

Diane is a consultant, speaker, podcaster, trainer and coach dedicated to helping people access everything they already have within themselves. Diane formed her own company called SPAlife-  Spa stands for Seek Power Always. She has a masters degree in HR Management and certification as a Life Coach.

To learn more about Diane, you can go to her website:

https://dianehalfman.com

or you can follow her on Linkedin:  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianehalfman/

Pamela Levine, most recently serving as the CEO of Manduka (leading yoga brand), has a long tenure in the health and wellness space with over 25+ years in brand leadership in consumer goods. After early years in technology consulting, she pivoted her career and went back for her Masters in Sport Management landing her in sales management for global sport product companies such as Saucony and Quiksilver. Over the years, she has been lucky enough to lead best in class brands in sport and the health & wellness lifestyle ranging from $50M to $250M. She most enjoys growing beloved community driven brands for both short-term performance and long-term growth. She has also been consistently a member of senior management teams for both public and private companies including serving on Board of Directors during her tenure. She is a proud University of Massachusetts Amherst alum with both a Masters degree in Sports Management Masters (2001) and an Undergraduate degree in Mathematics alongside a Japanese minor. She is also a UMass Student Athlete alum where she played Tennis from 1990-1994, including successfully leading a Title IX correctional action to reinstate four Women's teams at the University, including her tennis team, including needed financial resources. Golf was introduced (and taught) to her during her Graduate program and has served as a key networking tool in her career to this day. Originally from New Jersey (no accent, but a huge fan of NY sports), she spent many years in New England / Boston and is now based in Los Angeles, CA where she avidly plays tennis and golf with her family and friends.

To know more about Pamela visit her LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelawlevine/

Morgan Ingram is a sales rep who happens to be a sales coach that coaches sales teams how to use modern-sales techniques that bolster pipeline, leverage social media, schedule net new accounts and cold call with confidence. He is the host of the podcast and YouTube Channel called The SDR Chronicles, with more than 100 videos providing SDRs and sales reps with motivation, advice, and tactics for their sales journey.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Sales Hacker, the Hubspot blog, and the Harvard Business Review. Morgan has trained top companies like Snowflake, Zoom and Salesforce to evolve their prospecting game to schedule meetings.

He was named a "Top Sales Voice" by LinkedIn in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.

To learn more about Morgan, you can follow him on Linkedin:  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganjingram/

Erin Brown got her start in NYC pedaling Xerox equipment while moonlighting as a stand up comic. Four day jobs, a handful of TV & radio commercials, and countless comedy performances later, Erin headed to Hollywood and began crashing events with her personal red carpet doing tongue & cheek interviews.   This stunt evolved into an award-winning web series 'Hot on the Red Carpet' which featured some pretty famous faces.  

Today Erin is the CEO of her own company, Hot Red Carpet, where she helps people supercharge the vibe of their events with customized and unforgettable 'hot red carpet' experiences including  live and virtual emcee performance, Survey Sayz - a high energy and engaging team building game, one-on-one confidence coaching, and speaking appearances.   

Stress causes 80 percent of illness, so all of Erin's work centers on increasing the levity of any occasion adding value that feels good. She encourages everyone to stop and notice the daily Red Carpet moments.  

To learn more about Erin, go to her website:  https://hotredcarpet.com

Or you can follow her on Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-brow...

Rich "Trigger" Bontrager is all about making people shine on camera.  He works with speakers, entrepreneurs, coaches and business owners and teaches media skills, dynamic speaking, how to build engaging virtual events, building confidence, your brand and image.  Rich has been in broadcasting for 30 years and is the CEO of Rock the Stage Media.  He is the creator and host of How To Rock the Stage Show, airing live each Wednesday night. Rich hosts the National Speakers Association (NSA) podcaster, author forums, and the new NSA LIVE show Behind the Stage. Entrepreneurs, executives, and speakers hire Rich to unleash their brand authority by learning media-savvy skills that help them shine on camera and stage.

To learn more about Rich, go to his website:

rockthestagemedia.com/

Or you can follow him on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-trigger-bontrager-presentationcoach/