Authentic Leadership for Everyday People is the podcast where we investigate the connection between effective leadership and authenticity. If you are looking for inspiration and tips on how to become a better leader by being your true self, you are in the right place. The word authenticity is overused and can feel abstract, but when you look at its true meaning, it has a very practical and pretty clear cut application to leadership. Authentic means “the true self”. Authentic leaders clearly articulate their core values, and use them to guide every action they take. This clarity brings effectiveness, confidence and the ability to be vulnerable. In this interview based show, guests open up about how they discovered and developed their core principles and built a more successful and fulfilled life by being consistent with their values. Filled with candid moments and practical advice, Authentic Leadership for Everyday People is for everyone who wants to become a better leader and a better, more fulfilled human.
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Greg Larkin - Leadership In A Curated Community For Non Conventional Executives
Episode 184
Monday, April 7, 2025 • Duration 51:39
Greg Larkin is am entrepreneur, author, and founder of the executive community Punks & Pinstripes, a curated executive community that gathers people who, as he says, are trying to climb their second mountain. Greg’s view of what defines success is a little different. And it is heavily shaped by his personal history. He found success very quickly, by being the first person to predict the 2008 subprime mortgage melt down. That early success skyrocketed him into high-profile roles — but also into a cycle of ego, addiction to recognition, and a sense of disconnection from his true self.
In our conversation, Greg walks us through how he hit that breaking point and what came after — the tough reflection, the discomfort of leaving the prestige behind, and the journey toward doing work that truly aligned with who he is. We talked about the difference between surviving and thriving, about leadership that comes from experience versus theory, and about building authentic community in a world obsessed with status.
Ron Browning - Leading A Performance Marketing Agency
Episode 183
Monday, March 31, 2025 • Duration 40:49
Today's guest is Ron Browning, the CEO of IntelliBright, a performance-based digital marketing agency. Ron’s career is characterized by entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and a fierce commitment to accountability.
We talked about his unique journey—starting with his first business while still in grad school, diving into the early days of the dot-com boom (and bust), and ultimately launching IntelliBright, which he has now successfully led for over 16 years. Ron shared the key leadership lessons he learned from navigating both entrepreneurial highs and corporate frustrations, and how those lessons shaped the culture and values of IntelliBright.
He also offered some powerful insights on the importance of data-driven decision making, the value of clarity in communication, and how dressing the part can sometimes make all the difference.
Robyn Bolton is the founder and Chief Navigator of Mile Zero, an innovation consulting firm. Robyn’s story is a perfect illustration of the core belief that is at the core of this podcast: if you go through the process of intentionally defining your true values and make decisions accordingly, you will not only be happier but find the right professional success.
Robyn’s career started on a very traditional path: Procter and Gamble, an MBA at Harvard, consulting at BCG, and a stint at Innosight, a prestigious innovation firm. But at some point, she found herself questioning whether what she was pursuing was what she really wanted.
And when she started her own firm, she chose to avoid the traditional rules of having a growth plan. And that actually led to long lasting success, on her own terms.
Today we talk to Rishi Bhatia. As CEO of Purple Carrot, a Massachusetts-based 100% plant-based meal kit company, Rishi leads the rethinking of plant-based food—making it mainstream for everyone. With over two decades of experience as a CTO and in product strategy, leadership, marketing, and innovation roles, Rishi has spearheaded customer-focused transformational strategies for both Fortune 500 companies and startups.
Rishi discusses his journey from India to the US, how he transitioned from technology and product to CEO, and how to manage relationships with private equity and venture investors.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[00:59] - Dino introduces today's guest, Rishi Bhatia, CEO of Purple Carrot, a plant-based meal company. Dino talks about Rishi's unique path and how learning has impacted his career.
[03:20] - Rishi shares his appreciation for Dino's holistic approach to life and talks about his journey from India to the US and his work at a startup in the healthcare space.
[05:16] - The challenges of transitioning from an execution-based skillset to a leadership role.
[05:53] - Rishi shares his love for learning and how cascading skills to a higher value proposition has helped him unlock his potential and that of those around him.
[07:38] - Rishi shares a story of a decisive decision he made to offboard a team member who wasn't pulling their weight, ultimately earning his team's trust.
[08:54] - Transitioning to high-growth, high-risk startups.
[10:07] - Rishi talks about how working in mid-size or growth-stage startups intensifies the pace of learning, innovation, (and failure).
[10:37] - Rishi discusses the key traits of the leader he aspires to be and his ongoing learning and focus on creating purpose-led massive impact.
Christina Wallace - How To Build a Portfolio Life
Episode 83
Monday, April 10, 2023 • Duration 50:19
Today we have a return guest: Christina Wallace who had joined me on EP55 of the podcast. Christina is an entrepreneur, musician, podcast host and professor at Harvard Business School. With all these interests she describes herself as a "human Venn diagram."
Christina is here to discuss her book The Portfolio Life”, in which she talks about how cultivating a number of different interests and skills is key to living a more fulfilled life and build a successful career in a rapidly changing world.
In our conversation, Christina explains how she came up with the “portfolio life” concept, and then shares practical examples and steps that we can take to design our optimal portfolio life.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[00:57] – Dino introduces today's guest, Christina Wallace, who is returning to discuss her new book, "The Portfolio Life," to be released on April 18.
[05:13] – How Christina’s double major and learning about portfolio theory during her finance classes in business school inspired The Portfolio Life. Plus, a long ago and forgotten conversation foretells the future years later.
[09:21] – Christina describes the three tenets of a portfolio life and why life changes require a rebalancing of your portfolio.
[11:29] – Christina emphasizes that a portfolio life isn't just about work and shares the other things it includes, plus how to think about life in chapters or seasons for a happy life.
[12:26] – You only have a certain amount of time you can balance—work is just a piece of it—why The Portfolio Life is about more than having a work–life balance.
Anngelle Wood - Steering The Boston Rock 'n' Roll Rumble
Episode 82
Monday, April 3, 2023 • Duration 59:08
Today we talk to Anngelle Wood, a prominent figure in the Boston media and music scene who wears many hats, including host of the Boston Emissions radio show, producer and host of the Crime of the Truest Kind podcast, and organizer for the historical Rock & Roll Rumble , a 40 years old Battle of The Bands that is a Boston institution.
Anngelle shares the story of her journey in the music industry, how she became the organizer for the Rumble, and her mission to serve the local Boston music community by giving bands a platform to play and fans a safer experience, plus a peek into her true crime podcast.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[01:38] - Dino introduces Anngelle Wood, the organizer of the Rock & Roll Rumble, a local battle of the bands that has lasted for over 40 years and is a true institution for the Boston music community.
[03:56] - Anngelle introduces herself and shares that she's a Boston native with over 20 years of radio experience and how her background led to opportunities in the New England music scene, including hosting a show called Boston Emissions and organizing the Rock & Roll Rumble.
[05:29] - Anngelle shares the background behind Rock & Roll Rumble and the story of its roots dating back to 1979 at the legendary Boston venue called The Rat and how the competition works.
[07:18] - Anngelle explains how the Rock & Roll Rumble can change the trajectory of a band and her work to make it more of a festival and showcase to help bands improve their performances and presentation.
Anthony "Nippy" Ames - Escaping A Cult
Episode 81
Monday, March 27, 2023 • Duration 50:08
Today we talk to Anthony "Nippy" Ames, a former member of the NXIVM cult (featured in the HBO documentary The Vow) and co-host with his wife, Sarah Edmondson, of the podcast "A Little Bit Culty".
Nippy shares his personal experience of being a member of the cult, including his journey of realizing the truth behind the facade and ultimately leaving the organization. We then talk about some recent cases of businesses that behaved like cults and how to spot corporate behaviors that may signal the use of manipulating techniques similar to the ones used by cults.
Finally, we discuss the importance of questioning our beliefs and the power of love in driving positive change.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[00:55] - Dino introduces the show and guest, Anthony “Nippy” Ames, who escaped the NXIVM cult with his wife and played a crucial role in taking it down, launching an FBI investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of the cult leader Keith Raniere. They discuss the connection between cults and toxic organizations in the business world.
[03:55] - Nippy briefly summarizes his background and his involvement with the cult.
[07:14] - Nippy discusses the appealing traits and behaviors of cults and how they attract people and emphasizes the importance of acknowledging one's own susceptibility to these tactics.
[09:00] - Nippy explains why he personally became involved in one of these organizations and why he eventually left.
[13:56] - The vehicle to growth is through questions, and if an organization is not allowing that, it's already failing. Nippy shares the red flags to watch out for that a mission-driven organization may be behaving like a cult and what to be wary of.
[16:28] - Love bombing, reinforcing the mission, and toxic positivity are all mechanisms used to keep people in cults or similar organizations.
[18:56] - When you find out that you're part of an organization that may not be aligned or find out that there's something nefarious, there's an option just to walk away. The other path is seeking justice for the world.
Ash Beckham: How To Have Vulnerable Conversations and Be Authentic
Episode 80
Monday, March 20, 2023 • Duration 58:47
Today we talk to Ash Beckham, a speaker, author, corporate trainer, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
Ash shares her journey of self-discovery, the importance of building trust through authenticity, and embracing vulnerability as an ongoing two-way conversation, and reflects on the ripple effect of her TED Talk and her road to becoming an accidental activist.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[01:37] - Dino introduces Ash Beckham, a speaker, author, corporate trainer, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
[02:31] - Ash introduces herself and shares that she is a busy mom who also does virtual and in-person speaking, executive, and team coaching, and runs a family business putting on girls' fast-pitch softball tournaments in Ohio.
[03:52] - Dino discusses the universal experience of having hard conversations, noting how Ash's TEDx talk from 2013 about coming out of the closet inspired him to invite her to share her framework for authenticity.
[07:43] - Once Ash chose to be openly authentic, she found it difficult to live any other way, discovering that the potential backlash from living her truth was largely exaggerated in her own mind.
[08:31] - Ash believes that regardless of whether a threat is real or perceived, the fear response can still arise.
[09:19] - Ash emphasizes the importance of building trust by being authentic. And shares why she took responsibility for having difficult conversations for those who couldn't.
[10:45] - Ash stresses that we all live in the gray middle where we need to find commonalities through our similarities first, then open the door to conversation about taboo subjects.
Jean Batthany - Creativity and The Power of Pause
Episode 79
Monday, March 13, 2023 • Duration 51:29
Today we talk to Jean Batthany, who started her career as a designer in an advertising agency, then made several stops in many significant Senior Executive Creative roles at agencies and at Disney. In her latest role, she served as Chief Creative Officer at Walmart until a few months ago, when she decided it was time to take a pause in her working life and publicly shared her reasons and heart in a beautiful LinkedIn post.
Jean shares insights on creative leadership and the challenges of transitioning from a creative doer in an agency to a C-suite leader in a major corporation, her decision to take a career pause and focus on priorities outside of work, and her motivation behind publicly sharing her reasons for doing so on LinkedIn.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[02:52] - Jean Batthany, ex-Chief Creative Officer at Walmart, discusses why it was important to her to make sure I'm a human being, not just a human doing, and discovering her in the next chapter of life while continuing to use creativity to make an impact for brands.
[03:58] - Jean shares the life-changing events that led her to make the deliberate choice to take a break and the motivation behind using her platform to go public with her decision.
[08:02] - Tagging out: why it’s important for authentic leaders to show their true selves rather than putting on a brave face (and how sharing her truth helped others).
[09:00] - Dino shares his own experience with tagging out so he could be more available to his family.
[09:26] - Jean discusses the rational and emotional factors that make it difficult for people to take a career break and why it’s important to step out of the culture of busyness in order to prioritize self-care for physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Dino Interviewed by Harry Duran on Podcast Junkies
[10:53] - Rishi talks about his aspirations to scale Purple Carrot and describes the key traits of an effective leader who thinks BIG to capture potential.
[11:19] - Rishi discusses the importance of cultural attributes in leadership and letting the best ideas in the organization win.
[11:50] - Making decisions as a leader: the importance of combining intuition, data points, and business model metrics.
[12:53] - The journey to becoming a CEO and mastering the human element.
[13:25] - Rishi shares the path of learning he took to acquire the human element of leadership
[14:39] - The importance of storytelling and emotional connection in marketing.
[17:25] - Rishi discusses how his definition of success has evolved to focus on impact and legacy.
[19:03] -Rishi explains how his personal values of plant-based eating led him to Purple Carrot because he appreciated their business model as it aligns with his mission of creating a more significant impact through a clear and defined mission.
[19:36] - Meal options for flexitarians and the importance of having a clearly defined mission as a North Star for an organization to have a bigger impact or purpose beyond just their business model.
[20:12] - Balancing impact and profitability when running a business.
[21:02] - The importance of paying attention to business model refinement: breaking down investor communication into three segments: when things are going really well, when things are going okay, and when things are not going well.
[23:20] - Rishi shares an example of a high-growth startup's decline in profitability and his experience with unaligned heavyweight investors.
[26:00] -The importance of paying attention to red...
[12:26] – How the portfolio life concept challenges traditional career paths and allows for a diversified approach to work, skill development, and life in general.
[14:11] – How Christina’s grandmother’s wisdom helped her create a mindset and a unique approach to her career that has fueled her success and has helped her counsel people as they're thinking about the career piece of their portfolio.
[15:35] – Tell them a great story about the experience you bring: Christina talks about the power of associating and the ability to connect seemingly unconnected ideas or industries or networks in a world where so much of what we think of as specialization can and will be outsourced to computers very soon.
[18:34] – Christina talks about the concept of a human Venn diagram and shares how she’s built her own human Venn diagram at the intersection of multiple identities, multiple experiences, skill sets, and identities to help others understand what she brings to the room in terms of unique perspectives and experiences.
[21:12] – Embrace your uniqueness and look for opportunities where you are the perfect fit, rather than carving off parts of yourself to fit in with a puzzle that doesn't quite fit so you can focus your energy on doing amazing work and contributing to the team.
[22:25] – Whether it's in your relationships or your career, why it's essential to find the rooms that want what you have to offer.
[23:10] – Christina shares the recipe for happiness in your current stage of life.
[26:25] – Art/Life Balance, Christina emphasizes the importance of building a business model that can provide the stability, income, and health insurance to support a sustainable art career.
[27:34] – Stop measuring the quality of your art
[08:47] - A look at some of the more well-known bands who've participated in the event through the years.
[10:27] - Dino notes that the Rock & Roll Rumble was a platform for bands to gain national recognition in the past and asks about the considerations they made while organizing the event in the current phase of the music industry.
[11:24] - Anngelle shares the mission of Rock & Roll Rumble and explains the criteria for selecting bands.
[13:31] - What does "taking it to the next level" look like for a Boston-based band?
[14:11] - Shaking things up: how Anngelle ensures a diverse lineup for the Rock & Roll Rumble.
[15:39] - An electric atmosphere and a moment of transformation that changes everything for that band.
[17:13] - Anngelle describes their early experiences in radio, including working at independent station WFNX that focused on local artists, which carried over into her work now.
[20:22] - Stepping through an open door: A vacancy that led to an opportunity for Anngelle and rock and roll in Boston.
[23:25] - Don't underestimate a band based on its previous performances: Anngelle shares the experience that caused her to change how the Rumble is run.
[25:12] - Anngelle shares what she's learned in managing such a diverse group of resources to pull off the event every year, including managing the different components such as finding a venue, accommodating bands for sound checks, hosting judges, and tallying numbers for the winner at the end of the night, including the wild cards.
[27:25] - Anngelle shares what every band wants and gives us a behind-the-scenes...
[19:24] - Nippy shares his personal experience with the NXIVM cult, including his initial reaction to his wife, Sarah, being physically harmed and their decision to speak out against the organization despite potential legal repercussions.
[25:50] - Drawn in by a charismatic leader: Nippy shares the early days of his involvement in the organization and Keith Raniere as “a collector of souls.”
[27:06] - How the "A Little Bit Culty" podcast is helping others by turning a negative into a positive, and the duty Nippy feels he has to the "human team" and his hope to inspire others.
[29:27] - Dino and Nippy discuss how being in the organization robbed them of basic life skills and how they had to play catch up after leaving.
[31:35] The practical steps someone should take if they suspect something fishy is going on in their company and want to take action.
[32:23] - Nippy explains that when he and Sarah decided to leave the organization, they started making decisions based on their own values and principles instead of running them through the organization. He believes that having good principles and making decisions based on them can bring positivity into one's life, just as having bad principles can bring negativity.
[34:28] -The power of love: Nippy shares the most powerful moment from the first season of the HBO Series, "The Vow," that ultimately led to saving a life.
[36:41] - Nippy speaks about the power of love...
[11:40] - Authenticity is not just something one does, but who they are, and that changes over time.
[13:52] - Authenticity doesn't have to equate to constant struggle, but being true to oneself and figuring out what authenticity means in different circumstances
[15:28] - To be an effective advocate, it's crucial to evaluate the situation's context, desired outcomes, and personal motivations.
[17:01] -The importance of having a personal conversation about vulnerability while being aware that it can result in changed relationships.
[18:29] - Ash recommends three steps to dealing with potential pushback when embracing vulnerability.
[20:33] - When dealing with pushback when embracing vulnerability, it’s important to make it an ongoing two-way conversation rather than a one-time discussion.
[21:18] - Dino discusses the process of becoming authentic and evolving to fully embrace vulnerability.
[22:49] - Ash shares her journey of self-discovery and what inspired her to become an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
[26:34] - Courageously facing the uncertainty of letting go of prescribed life stereotypes and advocating for acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community while hoping for familial acceptance of her true self.
[28:28] - Dino praises Ash's empathy, citing her sister's wedding and her bravery in using her own experiences for advocacy while considering the opposing perspective.
[29:51] - Ash reflects on her past behavior of excessively expressing her identity while stressing the importance of self-acceptance and progress, even without full understanding.
[32:49] - Ash discusses the importance of meeting people where they are to help them understand and become allies.
[33:22] - The importance of authenticity
[13:23] - How the desire to prove herself, a need for change, and grappling with imposter syndrome influenced Jean’s career.
[16:55] - The importance of fostering a safe environment for collaboration.
[20:58] - Jean shares her perspective on leadership, her passion for ideas, and how the big brands embrace the concept of a servant leader.
[21:45] - The challenges and benefits of moving from an agency to a brand-side creative role and the education process in proving the value of creativity.
[26:56] - Jean acknowledges the amount of work that goes into managing a brand's vision across multiple platforms.
[27:31] - Jean shares the biggest challenges of transitioning from the agency to the brand side as a Chief Creative Officer (CCO) and the vital importance of allies and relationships, both inside and outside of the company, to get ideas through.
[31:39] - How the death of her father and discovering life’s finite nature upended Jean’s definition of success and led her to prioritize time, health, and purposeful impact over positions and possessions.
[33:48] - Jean shares how she’s hitting her stride (age is just a number) and using positive manifestation and her creativity to achieve her personal and professional goals while making a positive impact on the world.
[37:13] - Dino shares the advice he picked up on the power of belief from an interview between Rick Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell on the
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