The Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends had a diverse and amazing  group of subject matters experts this season from various locations around the world.  The listeners were privileged to hear from many who were authors and  had completed a lot of research to support their discussion. The topics were rich and engaging. The listeners commented and sent feedback to me from every continent. 

I want thank my listeners for being interested and finding value in these topics and guests. I also want to thank my guests in season four: 

• Mark Bobbitt and Chris Edmonds, consultants and co-authors of “Good Comes First: How Today’s Leaders Create an Uncompromising Company Culture that Doesn’t Suck”
•  Dr. Barbara Dallay Pezee, international leadership coach and consultant
• Jamie Flinchbaugh, advisor and author of "People Solve Problems: The Power of Every Person, Every Day, Every Problem"
• Michael Timms, author of “How Leaders Can Inspire Accountability"
• Steve White, president and special counsel to the CEO of Comcast and author of "Uncompromising" 
• Michael Chang Wenderoth, executive coach and author of “Get promoted: What You are Really Missing at Work that’s Holding You Back” and, 
• Sonya Barnes, brand expert of Sonya Barnes International

I appreciate each and everyone of you for your commitment to helping others reach their full potential. 

Thank you, 

Dr. Carole Isom-Barnes, podcast host and business consultant
Xperience Leadership, LLC
www.XperienceLeadership.com

Are you thinking about quitting your job and pursuing that great idea that has been on your mind for years? Numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau found that a whopping 5.4 million new business applications were filed in 2021, surpassing the record set in 2020 of 4.4 million.

Your podcast host, Dr. Carole Isom-Barnes, also took the leap and left her traditional job over a decade ago to pursue her entrepreneurial dream. As the now business owner of Xperience Leadership, LLC , for twelve years, she takes the mic solo to offer sound advice in the midst of the Great Resignation for those considering the plunge. If you are thinking about it, you will definitely want to listen to this episode. 

Welcome to Season 4 of the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends.  Be prepared to enjoy subject matter expert advice and opinions from authors, consultants, leaders and researchers from all around the world this season on workplace and organizational issues. As always, we have new topics and new guests - please enjoy!

I look forward to you joining us every other Monday for a new episode!

Dr. Carole Isom-Barnes can be reached at Carole@XperienceLeadership.com or visit www.XperienceLeadership.com for further information. 

This third season was all about you and your well-being as we had amazing episodes with dynamic guests and topics. I want to thank you, listeners, for tuning in each week. I also want to thank my guests and friends who took the time to serve as co-leads and share their diverse expertise and knowledge: 

• Dr. Joe Grasso, clinical psychologist
• Ms. Chris Bush, Homeland Security expert and private investigator
• Dr. Rob Fazio, clinical psychologist, author, and business owner
• Dr. Edward Brodkin, psychiatry professor and author 
• Ms. Ashley Pallathra, researcher and author
• Ms. Wanda Pierce, consultant and business owner
• Dr. Karen Geiger, consultant and business owner
• Dr. Randy Cook, surgeon and podcast host
• Ms. Carson Tate, consultant, author, and business owner
• Ms. Tracy Litt, consultant, author, and business owner

The Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends will return with Season 4 in January 2022, with new guests and friends. 

Dr. Carole Isom-Barnes can be reached at Carole@XperienceLeadership.com or visit www.XperienceLeadership.com for further information. 

Tracy Litt is a proven powerhouse of transformation. As a certified leadership expert, mindset coach, and spiritual advisor (and licensed hypnotherapist) , she helps people across the globe to break the patterns that bind them so they can become the highest versions of themselves. As founder of The Litt Factor, a personal growth and coaching company, she reaches people through private coaching, group programs, immersive workshops & seminars, speaking and online courses. Tracy is also the celebrated author of Worthy Human, a featured Amazon best-seller.  She has been praised for her outstanding TEDx talk. 

In this episode she walks us through her powerful and practical process, The Choice Method, which elevates prosperity, fulfillment, and happiness to new and incredible heights. She also offers guidance to leaders in respecting their self-worth, becoming empowered and striving for wild success.

"Own it. Love it. Make it Work."  This is the title of the new book from productivity expert/consultant and best-selling author, Carson Tate. Carson takes  the listeners on a transformational journey in owning  one's career and making any job work.

She walks us through four doors: door #1- escaping, door #2 - remaining in misery, door #3 - leaving the 9-5 and becoming an entrepreneur,  or door #4 - owning it, loving it and making it work. She offers actionable tools and approaches, such as The Five Essentials to support the listeners in pursuit of door #4.

"Own it. Love it. Make it Work" can be found at all major bookstores.

Dr.  Randy Cook, a well-respected clinician with four decades as a surgeon, educator and organizational leader, gifts the listeners with his wisdom and insight in many areas. Dr. Cook also serves as a professional coach with MD Coaches, a company dedicated to coaching and empowering physicians to achieve their best version of themselves.  In this episode, he addresses: 

• his late-in-career professional failure as a practitioner
• his career recovery/transformation via self-reflection and identification of transferable skills.

He also offers advice to those interested in attending medical school or are currently in medical school; he shares his opinion on topical healthcare issues, such as the demand placed upon physicians who are employees of medical providers, healthcare workers leaving the industry, and the impact of prosperity on the human connection. 

You can also listen to Dr. Cook on his podcast, "RX for Success" found on Apple and other podcast sites. 


Contact the host at Carole@XperienceLeadership.com.
Learn more at www.XperienceLeadership.com

Are you enjoying the the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends? Please subscribe and share!

Dr. Karen Geiger of Karen Geiger & Associates, consults with organizations and individuals to create awareness on the issue of white privilege, implement change and alter the race narrative.  In this episode she addresses: 

• her personal journey  with race and how she became comfortable with her own white privilege
• social identity and race
• the need to reframe white identity
• the significance of changing white people's level of awareness for the benefit of all society
• how to fight the system and  policies which have disparate impact.

Dr. Geiger can be reached at www.KarenGeiger.com.


Contact the host at Carole@XperienceLeadership.com.
Learn more at www.XperienceLeadership.com

Are you enjoying the the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends? Please subscribe and share!

Transitioning to Your Dream Job continues with part 2 and an inspiring and realistic conversation with Ms. Wanda Pierce. Wanda leveraged her successful corporate America experiences with Mobil, Johnson & Johnson and Merck, to transition to her dream roles in the area of philanthropy.

She is the business owner of Pierce Consulting Works, LLC, which provides interim CEO services for non-profits in the midst of change and the producer and host of "Philanthropy Matters" on WERA 96.7 in Virginia.

Wanda is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Business School.

________________________________________________________________________________________
                                Contact the host at Carole @XperienceLeadership.com.
                                       Learn more at www.XperienceLeadership.com.

  Are you enjoying the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends? Please subscribe and share!

Chief inspiration officer and coach, Tony Martignetti joins the Career Couch in Part 1 of a series on "Transitioning to Your Dream Job." He discusses how he transitioned from a career in finance and strategy and a passion for art,  to one where he guides leaders who are ready to transition to their fullest potential.  He also provides advice and  strategies to maneuver  you closer to you dream job.

Tony leaves us with some thought-provoking questions, such as, "What's your why?" and “What patterns do you want to break?" 

Tony is also the author of, " Climbing the Right Mountain: Navigating the Journey to An Inspired Life" and host of the podcast, "The Virtual Campfire."

Dr. Edward Brodkin and therapist Ashley Pallathra are the leading experts on human connection. In this episode, they discuss their co-authored new book, Missing Each Other: How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections, which is based upon years of research and identifies "attunement" as a practice to create deeper levels of connection. 

They address: 

• the importance of "attunement" and how this practice can improve personal well-being and work teams. 
• four components of human connection: relaxed awareness, listening, understanding, and mutual responsiveness
• the balance between person-to-person interactions and machines/technology 
• the difficulty in accomplishing "attunement" via virtual engagement

Their book can be located here.

Dr. Rob Fazio, a licensed psychologist, crisis consultant and executive advisor, speaks on the topic of Coping and Growing During a Crisis. He shares his personal  story (of coping through the pandemic and losing his father in the 9/11 tragedy) to support listeners in understanding that crisis is a part of life that requires preparation and growth. He also addresses:

• how to prepare for a crisis and mental toughness
• how to take control of your experience and transition to a place of growth
• leading during a crisis
• the significance of self-care and care of others
• the impact of loss on one's identity

Dr. Fazio is the managing partner at OnPoint Advising  which specializes in global leadership and the founder and president  of a 9/11 inspired nonprofit organization, Hold the Door for Others. 

Brand expert, Sonya Barnes of Sonya Barnes International, places great emphasis on the need to develop your personal brand and not be satisfied with your default brand.  In this episode, she stresses the need to be consistent with your personal brand standards and the importance of never falling beneath  those standards regardless of the environment.  Sonya also walks us through the model of personal branding: 

1. A = Appearance
2. B = Behavior
3. C = Communication (verbal and non-verbal)
4. D = Digital footprint

For those working from home or in hybrid environments, she provides advice on how to  remain professionally visible, show value, and advance one's career.

Sonya is an entrepreneur and consultant, with two decades as an international style and brand expert. She has traveled throughout the United States and globally to destinations, such as Southeast Asia and Europe, providing keynote presentations and leading engaged training and workshops to Fortune 500 companies. She has  appeared in national and international media outlets, such as the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Today, Good Day Vietnam, The Moulin Gazetteer (France), and the Chicago Tribune.   For more information you can visit her website at:  SonyaBarnesInternational.com.

Host of the Career Couch with Dr. Carole  and Friends, Carole Isom-Barnes, takes the mic solo (no guests or friends) in this episode to address quitting your job due to workplace stress. 

Focus is on three major areas of consideration  - financial, professional, and emotional - to support employees as they contemplate abruptly leaving their employer. 

Trained in homeland security and forensics, and now serving as a workplace violence consultant via her company, Blue Line Security Services, Chris Bush returns for part two of the discussion on workplace violence. In this episode she addresses actions you should take if you are a victim of workplace violence and how every organization: 

• needs a workplace violence plan, policies, training and communication that cascades down from senior leaders to all employees 
• should create a workplace violence prevention program
• must correct employee behavior before the issues become larger issues.

Contact Chris Bush at: 
Ladipi@att.net or 803-645-7026

Note: Any reference to specific names, companies or characters in the stated examples are used fictitiously. The issues identified are experienced by millions of employees every year. 

Chris Bush, trained in homeland security, forensics  (and more)  has an extensive background as a security expert in various capacities: private investigator, law enforcement officer and most important to this podcast episode, as a workplace violence consultant.  She discusses workplace violence, in part 1,  in a straight-forward, hold no punches manner.

Chris  identifies workplace violence in ways you may not have previously considered and addresses warning signs that every employee and employee should pay attention to at work.

Contact Chris Bush at:
Ladipi@att.net or 803-645-7026

Note:  Any reference to specific names, companies or characters in the stated examples are used fictitiously. The issues identified are experienced by millions of employees every year. 

Clinical psychologist and senior workforce director of mental health, Dr. Joe Grasso, continues the mental health discussion in Part 2  of this episode. He discusses:

• the role everyone has in de-stigmatizing mental health and challenging misconceptions
• the significance of businesses placing mental health on the radar and going beyond webinars
• how to support employees
• how to create a more mentally healthy workforce to build resiliency and  enable employees to become more adaptive to change
• when you need to seek mental health support. 

If you have a need for mental health services, consider contacting the following sources for  help: 

• The National Institute of Mental Health
• The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (or 800-273-8255)
• Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Season 3 kicks off with Dr. Joe Grasso, clinical psychologist and senior director of workforce mental health at Lyra Health. He provides insight in episode 1 on:

• how to prepare managers to be more aware of emotional distress
• how far organizations and leaders should go to address mental health with employees
• the ways in which educational content has changed to support employees with specific needs (i.e., parental, race-based stress)
• how to normalize mental health conversation without over-stepping.

If you have a need for mental health services, consider contacting the following sources for help: 

• The National  Institute  of Mental Health
• The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (or 800-273-8255)
• Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Welcome to Season 3 of the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends! You asked for it and you got it - topics that are on your mind, right now. Season 3 is based off of the feedback I received from you in Season 2. We are introducing all new friends and guests, starting with Dr. Joe Grasso, clinical psychologist and senior director of workforce mental health at Lyra. 

I look forward to you joining us each Monday for a new episode.

Dr. Carole 

Thank you listeners for taking the  time to return to Season 2, which was even more robust than Season 1.  I especially want to thank my guests for taking the time to share their knowledge and wisdom: 

• Ms. Liz Kislik , Management Consultant, Liz Kislik Associates
• Dr. Brian Kropp, Chief of HR Research, Gartner
• Dr. Kori Diehl, Consultant
• Dr. Daniel Kim, Director of People and Culture, Raindrop
• Dr. Alexis Carreiro, Consultant and podcast host of Failing Forward
• Ms. Angela Woods, CEO, Girls Scouts 
• Ms. Tayuanee Dewberry, Executive Director, Temple Israel

The Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends will begin Season 3 with new guests and friends on July 5th. 

Dr. Carole Isom-Barnes can be reached at Carole@XperienceLeadership.com or visit www.XperienceLeadership.com for further information. 

The recent death of George Floyd and the current trial of Derek Chauvin, the accused ex-officer facing charges for his death, conjures uncomfortable emotions and images for most. 

Host of the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends, Carole Isom-Barnes, goes solo in this episode - no friends. She offers her perspective and creates awareness on the cost of poor leadership, such as that which was demonstrated in the George Floyd video.  This bonus episode addresses:

• the damage created by those in your organization who are poor leaders
• the impact of failing to exercise the basic tenets of leadership, and
• the cost (some direct, others tangent) associated with abuse of power, turnover, reputational damage, lawsuits, and more.

Dr. Alexis Carreiro, host of  the "Fun with Failure" podcast,  returns with part 2 of this discussion on "Failing Forward." She offers her perspective on how to identify your why as you manage the four stages of failure and also provides suggestions on how to respect the process of success.

You can learn more about Dr. Carreiro and her work at The PitchProf.com and funwithfailure.com. 

"Fun with Failure" podcast host, Dr. Alexis Carreiro, joins the Career Couch this week. Dr. Carreiro, a self-described "recovering perfectionist," is a business communication coach and consultant. Her mission is to transform lives by empowering people to find their voice and confidently share their ideas and stories with the world.  She takes us on a personal journey in this episode as she supports the listeners in managing failure.

You can learn more about her work and podcast at ThePitchProf.com or funwithfailure.com.

Author and business consultant, Michael (Chang) Wenderoth, discusses a topic that we have all experienced – office politics.  If you haven’t experienced it, you are likely to at some point in your career. He posits that we should not ignore office politics, but rather engage in it for the benefit of our careers. He refers to the management of office politics as a “legitimate skill” that must be learned in the same manner as any other soft skill. 

His book, Get Promoted: What You’re REALLY Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back , is available April 6th and offers a three-part framework to support listeners and readers in developing these skills. 

Additionally, he addresses how the pandemic has altered office politics: 

1. Previous political structures in some organizations have ossified.
2. Informal organizational networks have been freed up in other organizations.

For more information on Michael, visit his website at ChangWenderoth.com.

The "universe rewards movement - you keep moving if you are moving", according to Dr. Kori Diehl, a certified coach who employs evidence-based techniques from the fields of future studies. She returns to the  Career Couch to discuss what she has researched and termed "ReTIMEment."  

Listen as Dr. Diehl, shares her insights and offers coaching on how  to proactively repurpose your life and career, now and "be in choice about your future."  This discussion addresses the narratives we tell ourselves to stop us from thinking about our future possibilities. 

Dr. Kori Diehl, a certified coach who employs evidence-based techniques from the fields of future studies,  joins the Career Couch to discuss what she has researched and termed "ReTIMEment."  This deep discussion addresses the significance of planning now for your future time in the same way in which you plan for your financial retirement. While not a discussion on financial planning, topics include realizing one's income-producing potential, managing growth and reinvention,  and staying relevant despite physical or cognitive decline. 

Dr. Brian Kropp, Chief of Research at Gartner Human Resource Practice returns to the podcast to continue the discussion on workplace trends in 2021 and beyond. In this final episode he shares data and research on the intersection of mental health, privacy and  vaccinations in the workplace.

His article, entitled, "9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2021 and Beyond" can be found at Harvard Business Review at hbr.org. 

Dr. Brian Kropp, Chief of Research at Gartner Human Resource Practice, joins the podcast to discuss data and research on a host of workplace topics, to include: 

• gender gaps
• employee work experience vs. employee life experiences
• remote worker bias
• BLM
• compensation transparency

His supporting article, entitled, "Nine Trends That Will Shape Work in 2021 and Beyond"  can be found on Harvard Business Review at hbr.org. 

Dr. Danny Kim, Director of People and Culture, at Raindrop, a people-first organization, continues the conversation on leading your team and employees to greater performance.  In episode 2, Dr. Kim focuses on  strategies to improve leader and employee strengths to enhance personal and organizational productivity. 

Does 60-80% of your work align with you strengths? If not, you may be in the wrong role. Is there an opportunity to maximize the strengths of the teams you lead to create better organizational performance?  Dr. Danny Kim, Director of People and Culture, at Raindrop, and a champion to people at every level, joins the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends to  discuss how leaders and employees of all levels can hone in on their strengths (instead of their weaknesses) for personal growth, increased engagement, better performance, and increased retention.

How can leaders and organizations move forward and create a climate of diversity and inclusion? In part 3 of this series, C-Suite executives, Angela Woods, MBA/JD and Tayuanee Dewberry, MA/Ed.S finish the series with a robust discussion on what it takes to change the system in order to create a culture of workplace diversity and inclusion.

C-Suite executives Angela Woods, MBA/JD and Tayuanee Dewberry, MA/Ed.S, return with part 2 of the discussion on the experience of being the only woman and African American in an organization, a team,  or in a c-level role. Part 2 focuses on challenges within the workplace system, such as unconscious bias and racism.

Being the only by race, gender, or sexuality can be uncomfortable, lonely, and challenging, among other things things. C-suite executives Angela Woods and Tayuanee Dewberry discuss their career experiences as being the only woman or African American in a role or in a workplace setting in this three-part series.

The role of Human Resources is the central focus of Part 2, of this episode of Managing Senior Leader and C-Suite Conflict.  Liz Kislik, management consultant and Tedx presenter on workplace conflict, returns with a very enlightening and thought-provoking discussion on this topic

Comcast President and Special Counsel to the CEO, Steve White, continues with part two of  "Navigating a Promotion and Organizational Success." In episode 2, Steve, discusses employee growth from an organizational and employee perspective. 

Organizationally, he shares how leaders can and should ensure their teams are experiencing growth, fair promotions,  and healthy cultures.  He candidly discusses the need for termination of those leaders who disrespect employees or are not living the organization's values.  He also lays out a process to build systems that break down walls of communication for the overall organizational  good.

At the employee level, he offers honest thoughts about work-life balance, referring to it as "work-life integration." He suggests focusing on the long-game and self-reflecting, especially if you failed to receive a deserved promotion. And, for those of you who aspire to be the next President or CEO of a company,  he provides realistic feedback - "You won't become president working 100% remotely or 9-5; growth requires an adjustment." 

As President of Comcast’s West Division for eleven years, launching his career in 1996 as Regional Vice President, Steve's insight is rich in wisdom. He was responsible for all of Comcast Cable operations in the Western U.S., leading nearly thirty thousand employees, serving almost ten million customers, and driving annual revenue of nearly $18 billion. 

His new book Uncompromising: How an Unwavering Commitment to Your Why Leads to an Impactful Life and a Lasting Legacy , is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and SteveWhiteSpeaks.com.

Liz Kislik is a management consultant, Tedx presenter on workplace conflict, and Harvard Business Review and Forbes contributor. She joins the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends in discussing unhealthy conflict, bad behavior, and workplace abuse at senior leader levels. 

Welcome to Season 2  of the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends! We have all new guests and great topics. We will discuss senior leadership workplace conflict and the role of HR in addressing such topics; we will discuss, with two C-Suite executives, what it is like and how to manage "being the only" - whether by race or gender - in a workplace setting . There's so much more. 

So join us each Monday for a new episode. 

Dr. Carole

Thank you to all of my listeners from all over the world during Season 1 of the Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends. We touched on so many great topics and I appreciated your letters, emails, and overall feedback. 

I also want to thank my "friends" who served as guests during each of our discussions: 

• Ms. Angela Adams
• Mr. Derick Daly
• Ms. Sonja Stetzler
• Ms. Adunola Adeshola
• Ms. Nicole Greer

The Career Couch with Dr. Carole & Friends will resume with new guests and topics on January 4, 2021. I can be reached during or in-between seasons at Carole@XperienceLeadership.com or visit www.XperienceLeadership.com for further contact information.

Nicole Greer, of Vibrant Coaching is on a mission to energize, impact and influence organizations and individuals. Part two of "Leading During COVID" addresses steps to support the organizational leader's efforts to refocus employees away from COVID. 

Nicole Greer, of Vibrant Coaching, approaches the topic of "Leading During COVID" in this two-part series.  The current state of corporate leadership affairs, trends, and suggestions are discussed to support leaders in leading employee and organizations through the COVID pandemic.

This series, "Getting Unstuck When You Dream of Quitting Every Day," concludes with how to quit a job. Career Strategist, Adunola Adeshola, of Employee Redefined, closes out this series with do's and don'ts and professional approaches to leaving your employer.

Adunola Adehsola, Career Strategist and founder of Employee Redefined, takes the conversation to another level in Part 3 with real talk and suggestions on "Getting Unstuck When You Dream of Quitting Every Day."

Career Strategist, and founder of Employee Redefined, Adunola Adeshola, continues the discussion in Part 2 on how to navigate career change. 

We are introduced, in episode 1, to Millennial Career Strategist and founder of Employee Redefined, Adunola Adeshola, who supports high-achievers in navigating their careers. In this series, "Getting Unstuck When You Dream of Quitting Every Day," she provides insight on when and how to quit your job.

Derick Daly, of Building African American Minds (BAAM), concludes this series with suggestions on thriving as you strive to reach your career and workplace goals.

Steve White, President of Comcast’s West Division for eleven years, and now serving as President and special counsel to the Comcast CEO, allows us to experience his personal journey of professional successes and failures, as he climbed the corporate ladder. 

In part 1 of the podcast, he provides the listeners with tried and proven wisdom on getting promoted and understanding your "whys." He states, "If you are doing something that is not consistent with your "why" and purpose, it's a problem."

He also addresses: 

1. what he looks for when selecting leaders for a role,
2. the need for leaders with diverse skillsets,
3. why high-potential leaders sometimes fail to get promoted, and, 
4. how to eliminate the "no's."

Steve's new book, Uncompromising: How an Unwavering Commitment to Your Why Leads to an Impactful Life and a Lasting Legacy , can be found on Amazon and his website, SteveWhiteSpeaks. 

Derick Daly, of Building African American Minds (BAAM) continues the conversation in part two of this series on his transition from a driven employee who was only surviving emotionally to a thriving and successful business owner.

New series, Driving & Thriving Instead of Just Surviving, offers conversation focusing on purpose, strategy, and determination in reaching personal goals and being fulfilled.

In episode 1, Derick Daly, of Building African American Minds (BAAM), takes the listeners through a discussion on his strategic journey as a driven employee with a goal of becoming a millionaire, only to realize, upon reaching his goal, he wasn't fulfilled . He provides insight on his growth process to thriving and leading a life of self-less service.

Part 4 of the series on Empowering Your Life with Words and Conscious Conversation concludes with guest, Sonja Stetzler, of Effective Connecting. Advice is provided to listeners on how to use words and Conversational Intelligence to reach workplace goals. 

Part 3 of the series on Empowering Your Life with Words and Conscious Conversation examines the cultural impact of communications within organizations. Sonja Stetzler of Effective Connecting addresses communication challenges due to balancing the pressures of management, time and cost while taking time to respect and understand multicultural communication differences.