What happens when two podcasters decide to slow down, join forces, and have the kind of conversation many leaders are quietly craving right now?

This week, I am doing something I have never done before. I am collaborating with my friend and colleague, Dr. Robyne Hanley Dafoe, on a shared episode that will be available on both our podcasts. This is not an interview swap or a highlight reel. It is a real, unscripted conversation between two women who care deeply about leadership, resilience, and what it actually takes to stay grounded in a world that feels loud, divided, and emotionally exhausted.

We talk openly about why self-leadership feels harder right now, why so many capable people feel stuck waiting for permission, and why caring leadership cannot stop at the edges of our organizations. Together, Dr. Robyne and I explore the connection between values, self-worth, perfectionism, and hope. We explain why hope is often dismissed as unrealistic, even though science suggests it may be one of the most practical tools we have. We also reflect on what it means to lead when you are tired, under-resourced, and still figuring things out yourself.

You will hear us wrestle with real questions leaders face every day. How do you stay steady without pretending you are fine? How do you care for others without abandoning yourself? How do you build resilience without turning it into another performance metric? And how do hope, compassion, and self-leadership actually show up in daily choices rather than big statements?

This conversation is personal, reflective, and deeply human. It is for leaders, caregivers, parents, and professionals who are trying to do good work without burning out. If you have ever felt pulled between responsibility and self-preservation, or wondered how to stay unshakable without becoming hardened, this episode is for you.

 I look forward to your listening, reflection, and sharing what resonates most with you. 

What does it actually take to spot the leadership gaps that matter, especially when life and work keep speeding up?

In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Erik Dodier, an entrepreneur who describes his career as a "30-year overnight success." Erik takes us from his early love of business and entrepreneurship to building a company through decades of pivots, pressure, growth, and change. What stood out to me right away was his willingness to discuss the pause that comes after the grind, that moment when you stop running and finally have enough space to reflect on who you became while you were building.

Erik's definition of becoming unshakable is refreshingly grounded. It is the quiet confidence that comes from surviving hundreds of hard moments and realizing you are still standing. He shares a simple line that stuck with me, "Of all my bad days, I'm undefeated." And from there, we discuss pattern recognition as wisdom, how experience helps you respond with greater calm, and how looking back can help you face what is next with a little more air in your lungs.

We also get into the real weight of leadership as teams grow. Erik opens up about a pivotal season in 2014, when his company had to narrow its focus and make a painful shift that changed people's careers. He describes doing it as humanely as possible, giving people time to retrain, find their path, or lean into the new direction. That conversation led us into something many leaders wrestle with: how to show care and compassion for others while you are privately carrying your own stress, doubt, and exhaustion.

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is Erik's honesty about what kept him steady. He talks about books, biographies, and even motivational YouTube videos as tools to reset his mindset on hard days. He also shares how his leadership evolved from feeling he had to have every answer to recognizing that his real job was building the right team, removing obstacles, and focusing everyone on the problems that truly moved the business forward.

We close with a powerful reminder for anyone who feels stuck right now. Erik's advice is to take the smallest step back in the right direction, because the shift you need might be closer than you think. As we step into 2026, he shares how he is using more time, greater intention, and AI tools as a sounding board to keep growing, personally and professionally.

As you listen, I would love you to reflect on what is one leadership belief you have outgrown, and what is the smallest step you can take this week to steady yourself again? Share your thoughts with me.  I really want to hear what this brings up for you.

In this solo episode of Becoming Unshakable, I invite you to join me for a quiet reflection on how our past experiences can shape and strengthen who we are becoming. I talk about my love for fall, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot, and how those simple moments remind me of the beauty of change. Each fallen leaf tells a story of what was, and each season reminds us that growth often begins with letting go.

I share why I no longer believe in leaving the past behind. Our pasts are full of lessons, proof of our resilience, and reminders of how much we have already overcome. When I look back on my own life, I see the obstacles that once felt impossible but now serve as evidence of what I'm capable of. Those memories keep me grounded and confident when new challenges arise.

This episode is all about using what came before to propel us toward what's next. It's about finding power in reflection, gratitude in growth, and peace in knowing that everything we've lived through has prepared us for what lies ahead. I hope this short conversation helps you see your own past in a new light and gives you the courage to keep moving forward with strength and purpose.

In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I had the privilege of welcoming two inspiring guests, Mary Beth Sandin and Kristina Fusella. It was my first time hosting two people at once, and the conversation felt like sitting down with old friends who have walked similar roads of challenge, growth, and self-discovery. Together, we explored what it means to stay grounded when life feels uncertain and why asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather an act of genuine strength.

Kristina shared how her Taekwondo practice has shaped her understanding of balance, both physically and emotionally. Her reflections reminded me that being unshakeable is not about staying perfectly still, but about finding stability while in motion. Mary Beth brought a different kind of insight, showing how self-awareness, preparation, and allyship can create calm even in moments of chaos. Hearing both of them speak so openly about fear, confidence, and connection felt deeply human.

What stayed with me most was our discussion about grace, vulnerability, and the quiet courage it takes to ask for support. We discussed the unrealistic expectations women often place on themselves, the importance of having allies, and how small moments of encouragement can have a profound impact. If you are someone trying to hold it all together, this conversation will remind you that strength often begins the moment you decide to reach out.

In this riveting episode, we unravel the extraordinary story of John F. Crowley, Executive Chairman of Amicus and former CEO from 2005 to 2022. When two of his children were diagnosed with Pompe disease in 1998, a severe neuromuscular disorder, John's life took a profound turn.

Leaving his role at Bristol-Myers Squibb, he became an entrepreneurial force as the Co-founder, President, and CEO of Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, steering groundbreaking research that ultimately saved his children's lives. Acquired by Genzyme Corporation in 2001, John continued his impactful journey, shaping the development of a revolutionary drug for Pompe disease. 

This episode explores the fusion of compassionate leadership and purpose, shedding light on the resilience and empathy that have defined John Crowley's remarkable career.

When you've led people through war zones, you learn what unshakable leadership really means.

In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with retired Army officer, author, and speaker Clay Novak to explore what happens when compassion meets combat. With five tours of duty across Iraq and Afghanistan, Clay has lived the reality of leading under pressure, where calm, clarity, and connection can mean the difference between chaos and survival.

Clay shares how he trained his soldiers to stay grounded when every instinct told them to panic, and how that same mindset applies to leadership in everyday life. From progressive training and mental discipline to emotional recovery after loss, he reveals the human side of service, the part that depends on empathy, humility, and self-awareness.

We also dive into the balance between toughness and tenderness, and how leaders can be both unyielding and kind. Clay talks about moments of vulnerability that built trust within his teams and how those same lessons guide his life and writing today. His reflections show that emotional courage is just as vital as physical endurance, and that compassion is often what holds everything together when the pressure is highest.

Together, we explore how real leaders build resilience, why asking for help is a sign of strength, and how compassion becomes a force multiplier in any environment, from the battlefield to the boardroom. Clay's honesty and wisdom reminded me that courage isn't about having no fear, but about standing firm in integrity when everything around you feels uncertain.

Welcome back to the Leadership with Heart Podcast! I'm your host, Heather Younger, and today, I'm thrilled to have Mike Chanat as my guest. With over 35 years in emergency services, Mike's expertise ranges from the NYPD to working with numerous police and fire departments through volunteer and paid work. We'll dive into his journey, learn from his mistakes, and hear a bit about his values of communication, growth, empathy, and making work fun. Get ready to be inspired!

In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, Heather reflects on a moment that reminded her what true leadership looks like from the inside out. Fresh from speaking to 13,000 nurses at the Atlanta World Congress Center, she shares how an experience that looked glamorous on the surface, with makeup, stage lights, and a long line of people waiting for hugs, became a powerful reminder that self-leadership is not selfish. It is essential.

Heather unpacks what it means to prepare so thoroughly that you can show up fully. For her, deep preparation is an act of care, allowing presence to replace pressure and connection to replace performance. As she recounts her time with the nurses, she explores the toll that constant caregiving takes and how compassion fatigue quietly chips away at strength. Her message to them, and to all of us, is clear: when you care for yourself as intentionally as you care for others, you become the calm in the storm, the unshakable center that others can rely on.

Through raw honesty, Heather shares her own turning point, the realization that the success she had built came at the cost of the people she valued most. That moment of clarity became the foundation of her teaching: align your life with your true values, lean on your team, ask for help, and give yourself permission to rest. Strong self-leadership is grounded in awareness, humility, and care.

This episode invites you to look inward, to question the beliefs that keep you on autopilot, and to remember that balance is not weakness, it is wisdom. When you prepare with intention, lead with presence, and live in alignment with what matters most, you do not just survive the chaos. You become unshakable within it.

Welcome to another episode of Leadership with Heart! Today's guest, Kristi Turner is a true embodiment of leadership with heart - she not only leads by example, but as you'll hear throughout this episode, she is someone that is truly grateful to be able to lead others and takes pride in doing it the best way she can. Get ready to be inspired as she shares her insights on leadership throughout her leadership journey.

Jodi O. Brown has lived the kind of story most of us hope we never face. What began as a picture-perfect life shifted overnight when she learned the symptoms she had been ignoring were signs of a brain tumor wrapped around her brainstem.

One surgery became three. Five days in hospital became thirty-five in neurocritical care. The journey would grow to twenty-six surgeries, with complications that could have shattered anyone's sense of self. Instead, Jodi found a different path. She learned to take life one minute at a time, to find meaning inside the mess, and to choose the next small step when the finish line felt impossible to see.

In this conversation on Becoming Unshakeable, Jodi introduces the concept of anti-fragility, illustrating its application to human life as well as to systems and economies. Resilience helps us bounce back. Anti-fragility enables us to grow stronger in the face of stressors, setbacks, and uncertainty. 

Jodi explains how she closed the door on one life and opened another with new rules, new rhythms, and a daily practice of grace with deadlines. Feel the pain, name it, and then set a time to stand up again, even if the first step is tiny. Sometimes, it feels like committing to attending a class where you cut paper shapes, because having someone to be accountable to can pull you through when your willpower runs dry.

We also step into a new season unfolding in real time. Jodi became an empty nester yesterday. The quiet is startling. She walks us through the emotions of a house that suddenly sounds different and the choice to reimagine marriage, travel, and daily rituals with hope. Her definition of becoming unshakeable fits the heart of this show. Adversity is not an interruption to your story. It is your story. The practices you bring to ordinary days prepare you for the extraordinary ones.

Faith underpins her steadiness. Hope keeps her moving. She shares lessons from a childhood shaped by leadership teachings and a father who modeled genuine care, the kind you feel when a leader knows your name and your story. Every interaction is an opportunity to change a life. That line threads through everything here. It is the reason people follow, the reason cultures feel safe, and the reason care will never go out of style.

If you are barely holding on, Jodi's message is simple and actionable. Permit yourself to mourn what you lost. Set a clear deadline to rise. Make one small commitment to another human and keep it. One step can change the direction of a hard season. One light can change the way a room feels. Jodi chooses to be that light, and she invites you to do the same.

Stay to the end for a generous gift. Jodi offers a complimentary e-copy of her memoir, "The Sun Still Shines," for listeners who email her. It is an honest account of pain and purpose, and a reminder that even in the hardest chapters, the light is still there, waiting to be seen.

In this podcast, Heather speaks directly to her listeners about empowerment. Her son is leaving off to college soon, and as she often says, kids are oftentimes the biggest teachers. Listen to this podcast if you want to learn how to empower others to do their best work but keep your level of support. She shares tips on how to give them freedom but still be supportive. Take a listen. 

Do you ever wonder what it takes to be a CEO? Jennifer Waller is now the CEO and President at Colorado Bankers Association, but it took her a lot of learning to get to where she is today. One of her biggest lessons was that you don't have to change who you are to reach your goals. Women often feel pressured to toughen up and shed their "soft" side to succeed in the corporate world. But in fact, as you'll hear, compassion and kindness can be powerful tools for success.

In this episode, Heather speaks directly to her listeners about the process of publication for her new book, The Art of Active Listening. She shares a recap of her week and the impact that this book and this message have had so far - it has been exciting and very rewarding to see the positive impact it's having so far. She leaves you with a question for you to think about this week. Take a listen.