Virtual Coffee

Bio: Amber Dawn is a neurodiversity advocate, writer, and coach. She works with neurodiverse people of all ages to support them in building processes and applying tools for resiliency, stress and anxiety reduction, self-knowledge, compassion, and self-advocacy. She self-identifies as gifted and autistic. She is a certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator and a certified Organic Intelligence Practitioner. Through the process of learning to better support her daughters and strengthen herself, Amber discovered Organic Intelligence. Organic Intelligence is a protocol she now integrates into her work for building neurological resilience and expanding capacity to support healing and embodiment with her clients. Books: Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis by Greta Thunberg, Svante Thunberg, Malena Ernman, Beata Ernman https://www.pegasusbookstore.com/book/9780143133575 Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues, Revised and Updated Edition by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske https://www.pegasusbookstore.com/book/9780143115342 Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines by Jonathan Mooney https://www.pegasusbookstore.com/book/978125077126 Websites: http://www.sensoryschool.org/ https://neuroqueer.com/neurodiversity-terms-and-definitions/ https://organicintelligence.org/ https://www.additudemag.com/ Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/Understanding-Neurodivergent-Partner-Dancers-103561738480819 https://www.facebook.com/Sensoryschoolca https://www.facebook.com/Neurobeautiful https://www.facebook.com/theautisticadvocate https://www.facebook.com/NeurodivergentRebel

I’ve been hearing a common narrative from friends and family. We are all in some state of re-defining who we are and how we are perceived as our post-pandemic selves. I recently had the chance to sit down and re-interview Melanie Franklin; Melanie is an experienced practitioner, trainer, and agile change management consultant. Along with running her own global change consulting business, Melanie is the chief examiner for the agile change agent certification, which I completed and received April of 2021 and enjoyed immensely. Listen to our discussion to learn tips for applying agile change methodology in personal and professional settings. Share your thoughts, and if you enjoy this episode, share it with a friend who's going through change.  Thank you for listening!

I recently had the privilege to interview author, professor, TED speaker, and all-around nice guy, Drew Dudley on Virtual Coffee. We had a lively and candid conversation about his book, how his viral “Everyday Leadership” TED talk almost never happened, and, among other things, the importance of having a personal leadership philosophy. 

This episode's guest is Ann Rhoades. Ann is the author of “Built on Values”: Creating an Enviable culture that outperforms the competition. I had firsthand experience working for a company where we put the suggestions in the book to work for us. The result was a truly values-based culture, where we had specific, measurable behaviors that supported our company's core values. These values were the core of an employee recognition program, they were woven into our performance review and development programs, and they could be cited by any employee across the organization. I thought it was one of the most impactful ways I’ve seen an organization live its values. I highly recommend the book and the practice of tying measurable behaviors to your organizational values. I reached out to Ann, to see if she’d be willing to let me interview her, and to my delight, she said yes! Ann is now the founder and PRES (which stands for Person Responsible for Extraordinary Service), for People Ink.  where she provides the inspiration and strategic direction for creating values-centric cultures for clients.

Melanie Franklin is the author of several textbooks on agile change management, and the director of Agile Change Management, LTD. Mel and I had a great discussion on change fatigue, resistance, building empathy, and finding silver linings. Check it out!

In this episode of virtual coffee, my guest is Ken Perry, CEO, and President of the Knowledge Coop. Ken also leads twice a year mission trips to serve with Forever Changed International - a nonprofit that provides emotional, educational, and spiritual support to families and orphanages in Guatemala.  Ken and I have a candid conversation about leadership, taking care of your team, and finding joy.  Join us!

Akua is an executive coach, strategic advisor, and entrepreneur. She is also the co-founder of CoffeeChat, a platform to find affordable 1-on-1 coaches and experts specialized in supporting African entrepreneurs and enterprises.  I met Akua through LinkedIn, when I saw a post about a workshop she’s facilitated called #IAmRemarkable.   Join Akua and I in a conversation about key takeaways from the workshop, picking a path in life and composting failure. Click here to get in touch with or learn more about Akua: If you would like to register for the workshop, click here.

My guest Paul Larsen is a talented speaker, executive coach, and published author. Paul shares valuable insight on how leaders can show up authentically for their teams during times of crisis and uncertainty.  This episode is the first in a series in which I interview people who are living “cohesive lives”. The idea came to me while participating in a book club with friends from the University of San Francisco School of Management program. We’re working on an insightful project based on the “Designing Your Life” book, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. Burnett and Evans describe a cohesive life as "one lived in such a way that you can clearly connect the dots between what you are, what you believe, and what you are doing." Paul N Larsen is a friend, executive coach, author, and speaker. He’s a fellow USF alumnus, and he donates a lot of his time and services to giving back to underserved communities. Paul exemplifies living a cohesive life. Paul and I had a great discussion about the difficulties leaders face during a time of fear and uncertainty. Listen for insightful tips. I know you'll find it helpful. Feel free to share with anyone who could benefit.

In this interview, Normandy and I discuss the role emotional intelligence plays in a leader's ability to successfully implement change.  With Estie Briggs and Normandy Gamboa