Shows
Infuse CompassionEpisode 29: Self-Forgiveness as Self-Compassion, Reflections from Dr Elia Gourgouris EpisodeWhy are we often harder on ourselves than we are on others? Amy and Mark reflect on the conversation in the last episode with Dr. Elia Gourouris, America’s Happiness Doctor, particularly around the importance of self-forgiveness. Listen in to hear about:
- Self-forgiveness as the ultimate act of self-compassion.
- How we see our mistakes as much bigger than others see them.
- The impact and importance of aligning with our purpose to truly feel alive.
Join the conversation, and add to it with your thoughts in the show notes. What tips can you provide to bolster self-forgiveness and al...
2025-08-1925 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 28: How to Find Your Light & Keep it, with Dr Elia GourgourisAmerica’s Happiness Doctor joins the Infuse Compassion podcast for a hope-filled conversation about seeing the good in people, particularly ourselves. Join us as we talk with Dr. Elia Gourgouris (pronounced Gore-gur-ees) about his transition from a private practice in clinical psychology to helping others find greater happiness and fulfillment in life as a coach, speaker, and author. In this episode you’ll hear:
- The value and importance of self-forgiveness – and how to start that journey now.
- How compassion is strength
- Why everyone needs – and deserves – compassion
- How to change the inner critic to an inner coach
The...
2025-08-1233 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 27: The Power of the Inner Voice: Reflections on Our Conversation with Natalie LukeAmy and Mark reflect on our conversation with Natalie Luke about blocks to careers and personal progress. Listen in as we discuss:
- The “inner voice” that often leads to self-criticism and keeps us from reaching our potential.
- How to quiet the critic that lives inside us
- Some possible indications you need to look at a shift in your job or career.
- The tie between Natalie’s “UnCeiling” concept and “unsealing” yourself.
We hope you’ll join our discussion. Listen in and share your thoughts and tips in the show notes about how to keep the inner barriers from ho...
2025-08-0524 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 26: 'UnCeiling You' with Natalie LukeIn this episode of Infuse Compassion we talk about the barriers that keep you from achieving new heights. Our guest is Natalie Luke, author of “UnCeiling Your Career.” She shares insights that help you rethink the trajectory of your career and break through barriers that may be holding you back.
In this episode, you’ll learn about:
- External and internal barriers that could hold you back without knowing it.
- The power of identifying hidden barriers and naming them.
- The impact of developing “radical self trust” to get you past the “edge of comfort” to greater success.
Regardless of where you a...
2025-07-2930 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 25: Heather Eck ReflectionsWhat does it really look like to get a reading from an abstract infusion artist? Join us as Amy and Mark discuss our thoughts on the conversation with Heather Eck in our last episode.
You’ll get a closer look at the work Heather does as Amy describes the reading she received from Heather and how it has informed her work, both supporting what she already knew about herself and encouraging her to step into the future.
Take a deeper dive into how we can understand our whole person better, creating a more compassionate view of ourselves and the ability to...
2025-07-2228 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 24: Heather Eck - Doing Heart WorkWe are a compilation of all parts of our lives -- physical, environmental, emotional, and spiritual. Some of those parts are harder to see than others. Heather Eck helps people see themselves in ways that provide connection to who they are and the work they are doing.
As an abstract infusion artists, Heather taps into her synesthesia to find paths in life that you're supposed to be on. Heather shares her story of finding her own path as an example of the importance and value of connecting to who you really are. In this episode you'll hear:
• Tips for finding th...
2025-07-1527 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 23: Amy Quesenberry - Start With Compassion®Register for the Infuse Compassion Into Companies virtual conference at infusecompassion.com
Our guest this week is normally one of our hosts! Mark interviews our own Amy Quesenberry about her journey to a compassion-based career and the framework she developed to “Start With Compassion.” You’ll learn:
- What prompted Amy to step back from a corporate career and focus on compassion as her life’s mission.
- The components of the “Start With Compassion” framework and how they apply in your life.
- Why self-compassion is the foundation for ALL compassion.
Join us for this opportunity to get to know your In...
2025-07-0832 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 22: Reflecting on compassionate communities & systemsHow do you "compassion it"? Amy and Mark share their insights on the discussion in the last episode with Sara Schairer, founder of the Compassion It movement. Join us as we talk about ways we can tweak the non-compassionate systems that surround us and make a difference in our communities of compassion. We'd love YOUR ideas of how to change these systems, too, so please share your thoughts in the show notes. Let's keep "compassion" as an action verb and "Compassion It" every day!
Sara Schairer is the founder and executive director of COMPASSION IT, a nonprofit organization and global...
2025-07-0130 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 21: Sara Schairer, Compassion It! Creating Compassionate Communities and SystemsCompassion is action. That's why Sara Schairer saw the words "Compassion It" in the word compassionate. This is a conversation you won't want to miss. You’ll learn:
• Why compassion is the most important skill we can teach children.
• Why and how self-compassion is a community activity.
• How many of our systems are perfectly designed to drive OUT compassion.
• How compassion drives positive business results.
Sara has been a compassion champion since 2008. You’ll want to hear her journey and follow the work she’s done with schools, prisons, and business leaders to infuse compassion into the world.
Sara Schairer is the founder...
2025-06-2431 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 20: Connect the Generations Through Compassionate CuriosityJoin Amy and Mark as we follow up our discussion with Nancy Gunter about communicating across generations. We talk about:
* Our own tips for listening better.
* How curiousity and humility are signs of a good leader, regardless of your title.
* The connection between diversity and generations, and why generations should be including in DEIB.
BONUS: You'll get to meet an additional member of the Infuse Compassion team -- one who was instrumental in the founding of Amy's Compassion Framework. You'll have to listen to get the details.
Let's work together to listen, understand, and communicate better across generations. Join the...
2025-06-1732 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 19: Understanding and Connecting Across Generations with Nancy GunterMost workplaces have employees from across four or five generations. Communicating clearly across generations is necessary, challenging, and can even be rewarding. Our guest on this episode of Infuse Compassion helps us understand why generational communication is challenging and what we can do about it, particularly as leaders.
Nancy Gunter, CEO of Gunter Training, helps individuals and organizations get curious as they reach across generational lines to work more effectively together. You'll love her energy and depth of knowledge around this topic. Join us to learn:
* Why listening across generations is hard, and what we can do about it.
* How...
2025-06-1028 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 18: Exploring Dance as a Metaphor for Life!Drop in on Amy and Mark’s conversation about mind-body connections and the lessons we learned from talking with Alex Tanon and Brandi Guild in last week’s episode. We are in a studio together for this episode, so it creates a different dynamic than some of our other episodes. We explore the importance of:
• Learning from mistakes but putting them behind us.
• Partnering with those we are closest to in our relationships rather than trying to “lead” the relationship all the time.
• Other applications in life where we can connect to compassion for self and others.
Join us and add your own i...
2025-06-0327 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 17: Exploring the Intersection of Dance & TherapyCompassion and personal well-being can be learned in many different ways. This episode of the Infuse Compassion podcast is unique in many ways. First, we have two guests instead of one. Therapist and dancer Alex Tañón and dance instructor and choreographer Brandi Guild join us to share insights into the relationship between dance and mental health.
In working together in dance, Brandi and Alex discovered lessons that apply in both dance and mental well being. Listen in as we talk about:
• The power of working cooperatively with others without having to “people please.”
• How to move past mistakes and focus on t...
2025-05-2745 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 16: Building Compassion Into Your CareerWhen work and passion collide, you find yourself in heart-centered work. And that’s the best kind of work to do.
Amy and Mark reflect on our conversation with Jenn Smith about creating connection between the work you do and your passions to create a happier, healthier career. Some key points we discuss include:
- Finding what your passionate about based on what brings you energy in your work.
- How simple changes to your work can bring alignment; it doesn’t always involve changing jobs or changing careers.
- The importance of getting everything out of your heart before you...
2025-05-2021 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 15: Connecting Your Career and Your Heart with Jenn SmithHow connected are your career and your heart?
In this episode of the Infuse Compassion Podcast, Jenn Smith explains to us how you can be more heart-based in navigating your career. We all have gifts to give the world, but we sometimes disconnect the work we do with the values we have, which keeps us from fully sharing our gifts.
In this episode you’ll learn:
• The symptoms that indicate your career may be misaligned with your values.
• The HEART-based framework for intentionally designing your career path.
• Steps you can take to align your career with your values so you experien...
2025-05-1333 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 14: Reflections from Conversation with Randy McNeeleyDo you have kindness superheroes in your life? How can you be a kindness superhero to others?
Amy and Mark reflect on the conversation we had with Captain Kindman, Randy McNeely, in our last episode. We remember the people who create moments of kindness and compassion in our lives. In many ways, these are the kindness superheroes in our lives.
We discuss the impact we’ve seen of kindness from others and examples of how kindness superheroes make a huge difference with small, intentional actions. Join us in the commitment to become a kindness hero.
Randy McNeely is a cybersecurity an...
2025-05-0618 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 13: Intentional Acts of Kindness With Randy McNeeleyIn this episode of the Infuse Compassion podcast, we talk with Captain Kindman, AKA Randy McNeely. Randy is a kindness amplifier, executive producer of “The Kindness Factor,” and a Kindness Worldwide Ambassador.
We talk about the powerful impact of simple acts of kindness. These are not “random” acts of kindness, but “intentional” acts of kindness that take little effort but go a long way in lifting humanity.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Randy’s journey from a corporate technology compliance expert to the world of kindness.
- The impact of kindness on individuals, families, communities, and organizations.
- How you can join...
2025-04-2929 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 12: Caregiving as Leadership: Amy & Mark Reflect on Conversation with Dr. Anna ThomasCaregivers of elderly family members play a pivotal role in healthcare today, but they often find themselves overlooked. Amy and Mark reflect on what we learned in our conversation with Dr. Anna Thomas about the importance of viewing caregiving as leadership.
Just as we need to support our leaders in the workplace by bringing our own talents to the job, we can find ways to support caregivers by looking at our strengths. We discuss some personal examples of how you can help care for the caregivers and add strength to this “invisible backbone of the healthcare system.”
Organizations and business lead...
2025-04-2228 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 11: The Invisible Backbone of the Healthcare SystemCaregivers of family members suffering from dementia, Alzheimers, or other long-term needs are the invisible backbone of the healthcare system in the United States. Currently, 53 million people are serving as caregivers to family members. As they give care, who is caring for them?
Dr. Anna Thomas, a palliative care physician, joins us on this episode to discuss how caregiving is like leadership, and that leadership includes caring for their own needs. Join us for this enlightening discussion as we explore:
- Ways caregivers can step into the role of the CEO of the care team.
- The importance of reframing...
2025-04-1532 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 10: Happiness is the Vitamin We All Need!We know we need to take our vitamins for a healthy body and mind, but we also need vitamins to keep our spirits and souls going.
Happiness is the vitamin!
Amy and Mark talk in this episode about our conversation last week with happiness expert Michelle McCullough. We discuss the importance of getting our “daily dose” of happiness , what forms that vitamin comes in for us, and how we can help provide “Vitamin-H” to those we work and live with.
Join us as we keep happiness at the forefront of our minds for another week!
Michelle McCullough is a sought-after speaker...
2025-04-0826 min
Infuse CompassionICP Episode 9: Happiness is not a Race, it's a MISSION! With Michelle McCullough with Michelle 0We all want happiness. The world around us telling us how we can get happiness through buying a product, attending an event, or taking a journey. But what is happiness really? And how happy are you?
The Infuse Compassion Podcast conversation with happiness expert Michelle McCullough will help answer those questions. Michelle shares insights from the 2024 United States Happiness Report and provides strategies to help you make happiness a mission, not a race!
The episode could get you thinking about happiness differently, and you’ll smile a lot along the way. Hey, we’re talking happiness here!
Michelle McCullough is a so...
2025-04-0232 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 8: Reflections on Pressing On through Depression with Amy and MarkAmy and Mark reflect on the conversation with Jodi O. Brown about facing the fight with depression in many areas of life. We share our personal battles as well as how we’ve seen others courageously battle episodes of depression.
We’ll share our key takeaways from the conversation with Jodi in Episode 7 and how compassion makes a difference in the fight against depression in our own lives and the lives of those we work with and those we love.
We’d love to hear YOUR key takeaways from Episode 7, too. Listen in to our thoughts, then add your perspectives in the...
2025-03-2526 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 7: Press On! A Conversation with Depression Fighter Jodi Orgill BrownUnderstanding and fighting depression is not just for those clinically diagnosed with a depressive disorder. We all experience depression symptoms at times, even if only temporary. And if you’re not fighting depression, it’s likely someone close to you is.
Join us for a power-packed episode of the Infuse Compassion Podcast where Jodi O. Brown, author of the new book “DePRESSiON Fighter” talks about how to “press on” during these moments when depression tries to keep us down.
You’ll get practical tips on helping yourself and others and hear Jodi’s story of discovery in creating this book, which includes e...
2025-03-1833 min
The Kindness Factor PodcastMark Carpenter - Smiles, Leadership, and Elevating Your Life and the WorldSend us a textNeed a lift today? How about a facelift? No I'm not talking about plastic surgery. I'm talking about big smiles. Mark Carpenter, "The Master Storyteller" is the man who brings them. With his down to earth style and easy going manner, he lifts and inspires people to new heights. Join co-hosts Dr. Elia Gourgouris - The Happiness Doctor, and Randy McNeely - Captain Kindman - in this thought-provoking and insightful conversation.Questions to consider:What role does kindness play in creating lasting connections?Ca...
2025-03-1329 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 3: Amy & Mark Reflect on Episode 2 with Michelle ChoateCompassion in the C-Suite and across companies creates powerful results.
Amy and Mark talk about their insights from the conversation with Michelle Choate in Episode 2. If you haven’t listened to that conversation, listen to it first to get the most from this episode.
We talk about examples we’ve seen where understanding emotions and seeing people as humans more than resources helps leaders strengthen organizations. Compassionate leadership is not about being soft but about getting the most from your organization and people.
We’d love to hear YOUR insights and examples of where leaders who had strong emotional intelligence made a...
2025-03-0426 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 6: Amy & Mark Reflect on Episode 5 with Rebecca AliBurnout is a topic most of us can relate to. Amy and Mark talk about their experiences with burnout and how the insights from Rebecca Ali in Episode 5 can be applied.
We’d love your insights and commitments as well. What will you do to notice burnout coming earlier? How can you reduce the negative impacts of burnout? How can you help others who may be approaching or in burnout?
Please share your thoughts in the comments. We love the insights of our Compassionators! We’re all in this world together. Let’s help each other apply what we learned from R...
2025-03-0426 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 5: The High Cost of Burnout with Rebecca AliBurnout!
You’ve likely used some form of that word to describe how you’re feeling, personally or professionally. When we’re experiencing burnout, it’s hard to have compassion for yourself or for those around you.
Rebecca Ali is here for you! Rebecca has done deep research into the topic of burnout and shares what she has learned in this episode. The topic is so deep and important that we go longer than normal in this discussion, but Rebecca had too many nuggets to cut her short.
In this episode we’ll help you understand:
• How burnout is defined.
• The symptoms o...
2025-03-0451 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 4: Compassionate Communication with Amy & MarkWhat does compassion look like on a personal level? Compassion for yourself? Compassion in your communication with yourself and others?
Amy and Mark have a short conversation about the simple ways we can show up more compassionately day-to-day.
Full disclosure: we were not originally planning to air this as an episode. This was a test run for what our conversations would sound like. But our freeform conversation brought out some good points so we decided, “Why not share this with our Compassionators?”
Shorter than normal this episode, but we’ll make up for it in a jam-packed episode 5. Be sure to tun...
2025-03-0428 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 2: Emotions are Data with Michelle ChoateEmotions and compassion are what you do OUTSIDE the workplace, right? Check those at the door when you enter the building!
WRONG!
Our first Infuse Compassion Podcast guest debunks the myth that the workplace is devoid of personal emotion. Michelle Choate works with executives and senior leaders to show the power of a compassionate workplace – starting with the person you see in the mirror each morning!
Join us for powerful insights on:
• What emotions are really telling and what we can do about it.
• Why EQ in the executive offices is so important.
• Simple steps we can take to create a work e...
2025-03-0429 min
Infuse CompassionEpisode 1: What does it mean to Infuse Compassion?Wahoo! A new podcast! What is the Infuse Compassion podcast all about? Who are Amy and Mark (other than the hosts)? How did this podcast come to be? What can I expect in the future?
All these questions will be answered in this short, introductory episode. If you care about increasing compassion and building greater humanity in any area of your life, this podcast is for you. Join the episode, meet Amy and Mark, and get ready for weekly boosts of compassion from the Infuse Compassion podcast.
Find out what it means to be a “compassionator” and how YOU can be a...
2025-03-0318 min
Infuse CompassionWelcome to "Infuse Compassion"Infuse Compassion is a podcast hosted by Mark Carpenter and Amy Quesenberry that redefines leadership through the lens of empathy and humanity.
Each episode explores actionable ways to create positive, inclusive work environments where compassion is a guiding principle. Mark and Amy bring decades of experience in compassionate leadership, sharing stories, strategies, and insights that inspire listeners to lead by example.
Tune in to learn how to foster trust, uplift teams, and make a lasting impact by prioritizing human connection and understanding in the workplace.
2024-10-2800 min