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In this episode of Lead Well!, I speak with author Steve Borodkin about survival, abuse, healing, vulnerability, animals, art, and what honesty really requires.

Steve’s memoir Street Level tells a deeply personal story of trauma and survival. But what struck me most in this conversation was not only what he went through. It was the fact that he emerged with remarkable warmth, empathy, and humanity.

We explore:

Why trauma processing is not a one-time event
The role of therapy, honesty, and long-term inner work
Why vulnerability is especially difficult for men
How animals can become a source of healing and...

Communication is often treated as a skill.
In reality, it is a relational process shaped by awareness, intention, and internal state.

In this episode, Christine speaks with Andrew Blotky, executive coach and former communications leader at Meta and Johnson & Johnson. The conversation explores how leaders can communicate with clarity and authenticity, especially in times of uncertainty.

A central idea runs through the episode: communication is not defined by what is said, but by what is received.
This shifts the focus from output to alignment. From message delivery to audience understanding.

Key themes include:

Why communication requires clarity of intent...

In this episode, Christine speaks with Shamayne Olivia about identity, self-alignment, and the often invisible cost of living a life that no longer fits.

The conversation explores how many people, especially women, grow into roles shaped by expectations rather than conscious choice. Over time, this creates a gap between external success and internal experience.

Shamayne shares her personal journey of questioning long-standing patterns, setting boundaries, and rebuilding her identity from the inside out. A central element of her work is the metaphor of “shoes”, representing different aspects of personal development, including foundation, past experiences, support systems, voice, and connection.

The...

In this episode, Christine speaks with Steven Howard, creator of Humony Leadership, about what it really means to lead people rather than manage them. The conversation starts with a simple distinction: tasks, processes, and policies need management, but people need leadership. Steven argues that many leaders still operate as if their role is to have all the answers, control the process, and tell others how to think. In today’s work environment, that approach limits creativity, ownership, and sustained results.

A central idea in this conversation is that trust should not be treated as a reward people have to earn over...

What is the difference between coaching and mentoring, and why does that difference matter so much when someone is grieving or struggling?

In this episode, Christine speaks with Doug Lawrence, founder of TalentC® and an experienced mentoring practitioner, about mentoring as a trusted two-way relationship that can help people shift thought patterns, change behavior, and find support in difficult times. The conversation moves into grief, the barriers that make asking for help so hard, and the kind of support that is actually useful when someone has suffered a major loss.

A few key threads in this conversation:

- why mentoring...

This episode explores what actually creates transformation.

Christine speaks with Glenda Benevides about her work combining music, storytelling, and personal reflection to create real change.

At the core is a simple sequence:

Clarity → Courage → Confidence → Commitment → Community

Most people try to shortcut this process. They aim for confidence without clarity.

The result is hesitation, inconsistency, and lack of direction.

The conversation covers:

- Why clarity is often missing
- How courage is built through action
- Why confidence follows behavior, not the other way around
- The role of reflection and journaling
- How to identify...

Career growth does not happen by accident.

In this episode, I talk with Nicole Fronek about what it means to take intentional ownership of your career. We explore why good work alone is rarely enough, how to build visibility in a smart way, how to support your manager without becoming self-sacrificing, and why boundaries are essential for sustainable success. Nicole also shares what leaders often misunderstand about developing talent and why career responsibility always remains with the individual.

A practical and refreshingly grounded conversation for anyone who wants to grow with more clarity and less passivity.

What if the biggest shift in your life isn’t doing more…
but finally allowing yourself to be?

In this episode of Lead Well!, I’m speaking with Ashlieya Mariano about identity, self-expression, and what it really means to stop performing for others and start living in alignment.

We explore how many of us unconsciously shape ourselves around expectations, roles, and external validation, and what it takes to reconnect with who we actually are beneath all of that.

This conversation is honest, reflective, and at times uncomfortable in the best possible way.

In this special episode of Lead Well!, Christine participates in Podcasthon, a global initiative where over 1,600 podcasters highlight charities and nonprofits creating real impact.

Christine speaks with Benson and Peter, leaders of a community-based organization working in Turkana, Northern Kenya, one of the driest and most challenging regions in East Africa.

They discuss the realities children face in the region, including malnutrition, drought, lack of healthcare access, and the difficult choices families must make every day.

For many children, going to school depends on something very basic: having food to eat.

Benson shares how witnessing children suffering from malnutrition...

What if leadership is not a title or a checklist, but a layered practice that develops over time?

In this episode of Lead Well!, I speak with Lawrence R. Armstrong, Chairman and former CEO of Ware Malcomb and author of Layered Leadership. We explore why many leaders struggle to delegate, how creativity becomes a strategic advantage, and why wellness is not optional for sustainable performance.

Larry shares how he built a global company over four decades while continuously evolving his leadership approach. We discuss whole-brain thinking, empowering a “number two,” building cultures of curiosity, and designing systems that encourage innovation...