Shows
Missing ConversationsEpisode #47: Leading Through Uncertainty: Strategies to Stay Grounded When Everything’s in FluxWhen everything feels uncertain, your team looks to you for steadiness—but what if you’re the one holding unspoken fears, bracing for change, and unsure how to talk about the hard stuff? In this real-talk conversation between Altus executive coaches Amy Vodarek, Steven Jones, Lynette Winter, and Dan Winter, you’ll find what today’s leaders are craving: thoughtful insight, practical strategies, and permission to pause and find joy amid the chaos. With decades of experience coaching senior executives and teams through high-stakes change, the Altus team discusses how to lead yourself and your team with focus, care, and pres...2025-04-2442 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #46: The Case for Workplace Civility: How Psychological Safety and Clear Standards of Behavior Drive Team Success: A Conversation with Ellen BurtonWant a more generous, high-performing team? Create a culture and environment where your people feel safe. In this sharp and energizing episode, Ellen Burton joins Amy Vodarek and Lynette Winter for a conversation every leader needs to hear. Ellen is an executive leadership coach, keynote speaker, and author of The Civility Project, which raises awareness of old patterns of unhealthy and harmful behaviors in the workplace and opens pathways to a more reverent and civilized culture. Her gift for changing minds and hearts is evident as she shares her insights on the staggering cost of toxic culture t...2025-04-1754 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #45: Leading at the Edges: Noticing Power, Listening for Care, and Making Space for New Perspectives: A Conversation with Lynette WinterWhat if the challenges your team is facing right now are actually the doorway to more light, more connection, and more goodness in the world? In this eye-opening episode of Missing Conversations, Altus executive coach, Lynette Winter, joins Amy Vodarek and Steven Jones to disrupt conventional leadership talk and offer something rarely heard—an inside-out perspective on power, presence, and navigating conflict. With her rare ability to see what others miss, Lynette reveals how awareness of power, clear team agreements, and understanding what trust requires can cultivate deeper connection and drive greater performance. Lynette offers both insight and...2025-04-1048 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #44: When the Pie Crumbles: What One Entrepreneur Learned About Leading Teams and Starting OverWhat do pies, poetry, and global equity have in common? In this candid and compelling episode of Missing Conversations, hosts Amy Vodarek and Steven Jones welcome Paul O’Donnell, a former investment banker turned entrepreneur, and Sylvana Caloni, a leadership coach and former equity analyst, to explore the real story behind their book Humble Crumbles. Paul shares his rollercoaster journey of building—and ultimately shutting down—a gourmet pie business, while Sylvana offers sharp, reflective insights into the leadership habits that quietly make or break companies. Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear: 02:01 – Entrepreneurship and poetry? Paul and Sylvan...2025-04-0347 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #40: Navigating Priorities: Building Trust and Collaboration in Healthcare Innovation Teams with Clare PurvisIn this episode of “Missing Conversations,” hosts Pam Fox Follin and Amy Vodarek welcome Clare Purvis, a digital health leader and founder of WELL. Clare shares her journey through the healthcare and technology sectors, highlighting the challenges and triumphs she has experienced while building diverse teams focused on healthcare innovation. Key takeaways: Foster trust and belonging by communicating clearly, prioritizing effectively, understanding individual challenges, and setting clear expectations for commitments. Setting boundaries around work commitments to prevent burnout while still being able to meet critical deadlines. Establishing values to ensur...2024-09-2654 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #39: Feedback Reimagined: Building Better Conversations with Pete BerridgeIn this episode of “Missing Conversations,” hosts Heather Neely and Amy Vodarek welcome Pete Berridge, CEO of Change Positive and co-author of Feedback Reimagined: Transform Your Organization through Positive Psychology and Social Support. Pete shares his insights on transforming team conversations and feedback processes using principles from the Positive Psychology and his Shift Positive® Method. Pete discusses: How to transform communication breakdowns into breakthroughs through intentional conversations. How to apply the principles of positive psychology to communication within organizations. How the Shift Positive® Method can reshape the way teams engage in feedbac...2024-09-1949 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #35: How Being Truly Present Impacts Your Future with Sheeja ShajuAmy Vodarek and Kobe Bogaert discuss the importance of paying attention to what our bodies are trying to tell us with Sheeja Shaju, Founder and CEO of I Create. Sheeja is an expert in somatic coaching, using specific body practices to tie into our bodies' immense intelligence and wisdom. Somatics In today’s conversation, we cover: Why it’s so critical to pay attention to the signals your body is sending you. How team engagement improves when the leader becomes more aware of their own mind-body connection. Why it’s important to obs...2024-05-1651 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #32: Conversations for a Better Future with Paymon HamidiKobe Bogaert and Amy Vodarek speak with Paymon Hamidi, CEO of Infracore, an Information Technology Consulting and Managed Services firm founded in 2003. Their conversation focuses on the three major areas where Paymon recognized his team needed support in order to start acting less like a group and more like a team: communication that sparks action, filtering negative information, and letting go. In today’s conversation, we explore: How to improve communication in a growing company When and where to be transparent and when to hold back information Building trust in a bu...2024-04-1857 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #29: Responsibility Transforms Teams with Juliana VergaraAmy Vodarek and Heather Neely talk with Juliana Vergara, VP of Leadership and Executive Coaching with accounting firm FORVIS and co-author of Growing Groups into Teams. Juliana explains how she came to recognize the distinction between accountability and responsibility. In today’s conversation, we explore: What it looks like to be accountable versus responsible How a responsibility mindset empowers you and your team’s success Acknowledging personal responsibility in times of success and failure Identifying signs of unproductive team dynamics Actionable responsibility-building practices you can bring to your t...2024-02-0845 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #27: The Relational Leader with Sailaja ManachaAmy Vodarek and Dan Winter talk with Sailaja Manacha, co-author of Growing Groups Into Teams and Leadership Coach at Physis. Sailaja brings her background in psychology to re-humanizing leaders and their teams. In today’s episode, we explore the missing conversations around: Your “relational resume” and the relational patterns leaders exhibit Building relational foundations through leadership conversations Developing psychological safety in teams Being a leader who emphasizes emotional and relational intelligence About Sailaja Manacha: Sailaja Manacha, TSTA (Psychotherapy), MCC coaches senior executives in India and globally. Her clients...2024-01-2543 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #24: Trust Makes or Breaks the Team with Amy VodarekDan Winter and Elayna Alexandra talk with Amy Vodarek, co-author of Growing Groups into Teams and Principal Consultant with Altus Growth Partners. Amy shares one of the most common professional experiences that is an indicator of trust breakdown: side conversations or “the meeting after the meeting.” In today’s conversation, we explore the missing conversation about trust (and finally put an end to the meeting after the meeting), including: Why trust is essential to teamwork How to develop psychological safety in your team How to overcome discomfort with conversations about t...2023-12-1436 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #23: Forging Your Team at the Top with Pam Fox RollinDan Winter and Amy Vodarek talk with Pam Fox Rollin, lead co-author of Growing Groups into Teams and Principal Consultant with Altus Growth Partners. Pam reflects on her commitment to efficiency, strategy consulting, and building teams that truly care about the work they do. In today’s conversation, we explore the conversations your executive team is missing: Ensuring your leadership team is functioning as a team and not a group Moving to direct, authentic conversations in your team meetings Setting expectations and having open conversations in a CEO transition...2023-12-0742 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #21: Grow an Amazing Team from Scratch with Kobe BogaertHeather Neely and Amy Vodarek talk with Kobe Bogaert, co-author of Growing Groups into Teams and Managing Director at Altus, about his insight into teamwork and collaboration based on over a decade of consulting experience. Kobe, Heather, and Amy reflect on the experience of working on a book about teamwork as a team and what they each learned along the way. In today’s conversation, Kobe shares the missing conversations that are standing between your group being a true team: The distinction between groups and teams The most common missing element at t...2023-11-1650 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #14: Cultivating Change: New Tech in Agriculture with Ed KuyperDan Winter and Amy Vodarek speak with Ed Kuyper, the co-founder of Agtech Bio, an organization that brings in technology to build a cleaner planet with safer and smarter food systems. Ed shares his experience transitioning to the industry of agriculture technology, and how he applies his skillset and knowledge to a whole new industry in pursuit of his future vision. In today’s conversation, we cover: Moments of change, transition, and transformation How technology is disrupting the agriculture industry The importance of relationship and trus...2023-09-2854 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #12: The Power of Healing and Grieving In Community with Lisa Simms Booth (Part 2)Steven Jones and Amy Vodarek continue their conversation with Lisa Simms Booth, Executive Director of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. If you missed Part 1, we highly recommend listening to Episode 11 first for the full context, available here: https://www.podpage.com/missing-conversations/episode-11-the-power-of-healing-and-grieving-in-community-with-lisa-simms-booth-part-1/ In this continuation, we delve further into Lisa Simms Booth’s experiences as a leader. Lisa discusses the prevalence of scarcity mindset in non-profit funding, innovative ways to collaborate, ways to empower team members’ work-life balance, and how to care for yourself (and your team) when your work truly never ends. 2023-07-2026 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #11: The Power of Healing and Grieving In Community with Lisa Simms Booth (Part 1)Today, Steven Jones and Amy Vodarek host a conversation with Lisa Simms Booth on her personal and professional experience with cancer. Lisa Simms Booth is the Executive Director at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. Founded in 1996, Smith Center is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit for individuals living with a cancer diagnosis, their caregivers, and the greater community. Smith Center offers a wider variety of programming–from yoga and mindfulness to knitting to writing to peer-led support groups and intensive retreats for people to explore their relationships to their healing, grief, and their sense of self in a s...2023-07-1335 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #9: Adopting humanized DEI strategies for your company with Nicole StibbeToday, our hosts, Amy Vodarek and Dan Winter, are speaking with a special guest, Nicole Stibbe, the founder and CEO of the consulting organization Soulwork Alliance. Soulwork helps develop forward-thinking organizations committed to advancing their companies by prioritizing the diversity of thought background and capabilities of their people. While Nicole enjoyed her early work as a consultant, she found herself asking about the impact of that work on others. She began to realize there's so much more we can be doing to impact the wellbeing of employees, as well as promote thriving and engagement, and how that c...2023-06-2945 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #8: Unveiling Medical Racism: Making the Invisible Visible with Kaytura FelixThis week, hosts Steven Jones and Amy Vodarek delve into the topic of medical racism and its impact on marginalized communities. Our guest, Kaytura Felix, is a distinguished scholar in the Department of Health Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing on structural racism and health justice. She’s a medical doctor trained in health services & community-based participatory research, with over 20 years in the federal government, supporting improvements in minority health and she’s also an executive leadership coach. A dynamo at everything she does, Kaytura is a serial architect, passionate about leadership with a car...2023-06-2240 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #7: Challenging Racism in school and communities with Martha SwaimToday, our hosts, Steven E. Jones and Amy Vodarek talk with Martha “Marty” Swaim, founder and retired Executive Director of Challenging Racism. Challenging Racism educates and trains people to face and effectively engage in conversations about racism to address inequities of personal, institutional, and systemic racism. Challenging Racism conversations build knowledge and allow participants to use facilitated conversation tools to practice skills in how to challenge racism when it arises. For over 50 years, Marty’s work has focused on interrupting racism, particularly in the schools, education system, and communities. Her starting point was her colleague, who po...2023-06-1539 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #6: Finding the North Star in Leadership with Jason KesslerHow can care help us navigate and lead teams innovating for the future? Our hosts Amy Vodarek and Steven Jones, welcome Jason Kessler, the program executive for NASA's Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Technology Transfer Program. Kessler’s team engages small business entrepreneurs and innovators to deliver cutting-edge technology to support NASA missions. He combines his experiences as an entrepreneur and consultant in the private sector with more than fifteen years as a program executive with NASA before taking on his current role. Jason shares his experience developing partnerships, leading teams, and fostering innovation in...2023-04-1147 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #5: Baking Changing Lives into Your Business Model with Alison BakewellIn this episode, Dan Winter and Amy Vodarek discuss how Cake4Kids makes birthdays memorable for kids across the U.S. Alison Bakewell is the executive director for Cake4Kids, a multistate volunteer-powered organization that delivers free custom birthday cakes to at-risk children and youth around the country. Cake4kids' unique business model ensures birthday cakes are baked and delivered to kids in foster care, kinship care, group homes, survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, and those living in low-income housing with or without parents, or experiencing homelessness. Originally a volunteer baker, Al...2023-04-0650 min
Missing ConversationsEpisode #3: Are You Making High-Quality Decisions? with Sheldon BernardToday’s discussion is about decision-making and ensuring we make the right choices for our businesses. Our hosts, Dan Winter, and Amy Vodarek speak with Sheldon Bernard, a champion of applied decision sciences and founder of A440 Management, a consultancy dedicated to improving decision-making under uncertainty. Sheldon discusses the role of bias in decision-making, including survivorship bias, why so many startups are failing just as they begin their journey, and what they should be doing differently to kick off in the right direction or pivot to a new opportunity. He explores what constitutes a good deci...2023-03-101h 15
The Feminine EdgeUndesign to Redesign: Leading Change in Healthcare with Chenny XiaChenny Xia is an award-winning entrepreneur, designer, technologist, and CEO of Gotcare. After working within the healthcare industry and at multiple innovation consultancies for over a decade, Chenny realised that there needed to be changes made within the healthcare system to better support its workers. This lead to her co-founding Gotcare, a health tech company that is transforming in-home healthcare across Canada. “In order for us to help unburden people from the weight of the system, we need to change a part of the system and be very strategic about how we’re intervening.” Chenny and he...2022-12-2245 min
The Feminine EdgeCultivating a Mindset of Growth with Laura ValvasoriLaura Valvasori is a Marketing Foundations Strategist & Mentor for Entrepreneurs and the Owner of Good to Grow Marketing. Leaving her corporate job to pursue self-employment, Laura discovered the shift from employee to entrepreneur is as much a personal growth move as a professional one. In her debut book, Good to Grow, Laura empowers new and seasoned entrepreneurs to cultivate the right mindset and habits to thrive and build a successful business and life they love. She touches on subjects such as the power of intention and how setting your intention can alter your entire work experience. Laura s...2022-12-1544 min
The Feminine EdgeInterview with Eleanor Beaton. Vision, ambition and a new business model for growth.Your vision is revealed to you, step by step, insight by insight and thread by thread. Eleanor Beaton shares her magnetic and clear vision for advancing gender equity by helping women entrepreneurs grow thriving businesses. Her vision guides everything she and her team at Safi Media do. She believes women entrepreneurs are the key to advancing global gender equity and a sustainable, healthy planet. As a woman founder and leader, learning to believe in yourself and your envisioned future is an evolving process. Aligning your ambition with commitment, actions and practice, your vision is revealed to you...2022-12-0857 min
The Feminine EdgeMistakes: Manage the moment and mine the learningMistakes. If you work long enough, you'll likely make one at some point, especially if you put yourself in positions requiring rapid learning and increasing authority and responsibility. Mistakes usually catch you by surprise, just when you think you've got things humming. Often it's unexpected and realizing you've made a mistake can be crushing. This is a pivotal moment to hold steady to manage the moment effectively. Whether leading in the workplace or your own company, you've got to collect your wits to focus on immediate recovery and then lead the followthrough; not only minimize damage to...2022-09-2356 min
Disrupting Doctors CareersPriceless Career Change Advice for Doctors UK: Challenges and How to Overcome Them - with Amy VodarekEpisode Question: What is the key challenge high-performing doctors face in career moves?
Canadian, Amy Vodarek is a highly influential coach, public speaker, and Founder of Insight Edge whose speciality is supporting women leading high-impact projects as an entrepreneur or within an organisation
We talk about culture and the messages that can contribute to a lack of wellbeing and what happens when individuals get to the point of ‘should I stay or go?’
High-performing professionals need clarity on how to take their expertise and what they enjoy; reshaping it to where they are now...2022-08-2838 minThe Feminine EdgeComplacency is your enemy to growthComplacency is your enemy! One of the things that can slow down your effectiveness as a leader and in your results is complacency. You got to where you are by becoming an expert in your field, moving into leadership roles or carving out your own path as a business owner. But being an expert will only tak you so far and can derail your ambitions. If you become complacent as a leader, relying too much on your expertise, you will lose enthusiasm and risk the results you want. I walk you through several clues that you may b...2022-07-2329 minThe Feminine EdgeThe Power of Effective DelegationIf you’re anything like me, I imagine you’ve got a lot going on. Projects, hiring team members, putting out fires, keeping the day-to-day on track, and trying to lift your head and keep your team and initiatives on track. You’re longing to have more space and energy for yourself and the things that matter. And to do this, you know you need to hand off responsitibity to others on your team. But delegating isn’t like handing the baton in the relay. People and projects are complex, and to delegate well, we need to hone some new skills. ...2022-06-0235 minThe Feminine EdgeFrom Bootstrapping to Sale: Interview with Mabels Labels Cofounder Julie ColeJulie Cole is a recovered lawyer, mom of six and co-founder of Mabel's Labels. She helped her company bring their product to a worldwide market, gain media recognition and win countless entrepreneur awards. Mabels Labels early beginnings were humble, starting as many women do bootstrapping and working late hours while the kids are asleep. Julie shares what it takes to start, the messy middle and the learning that comes from growing a business with partners to reach a point to be able sell it. Even if you're not thinking of selling your business, t...2022-04-0830 minThe Feminine EdgeIs your relationship with time helping or hindering your success?So, what is your relationship with time like? Time and the perception of time are elements of just about every part of our day. It comes up in most of my coaching conversations, and most often, it's about a lack of time, urgency or feeling that time is running our day. Your days are full of service delivery, taking care of your team, clients and all the details of running a business. Finding the time to work on the strategic growth initiatives you know will add value to your clients, team, and business can feel...2022-03-1031 minThe Feminine EdgeAdvancing More Women to the C-Suite with Stacy MayerHow do we learn to advance our businesses and leadership by leveraging our feminine strengths? Executive Coach and Promotion Strategist, Stacy Mayer, shares how she’s integrated her feminine strengths in growing her business and serving her clients. Stacy is passionate about bringing more diversity to senior leadership roles. Her mission is to double the number of women promoted to the c-suite each year worldwide. We discuss the significant internal and external barriers women encounter when advancing their careers. Stacy offers women several key tactics from her recent book Promotions Made Easy: A step by step guide to the Ex...2022-02-2446 min
The Feminine EdgeElevating Senior Fitness with Emily Johnson, Founder StrongerU Senior FitnessA passion for elevating senior fitness and breaking down outdated ageism narratives prompted Emily Johnson to make the leap and leave her corporate job to start her own business. Emily is the Founder and Creative Director of StrongerU Senior Fitness and on a mission to innovate and elevate senior fitness globally. Like many women entrepreneurs, Emily’s business started as a passion project while still working in her corporate job. When the pandemic hit, watching declining well-being for so many seniors was prompt to decide to leave her job and launch her company. StrongerU Senior fitness is fill...2022-02-0338 minThe Feminine EdgeThe Power of the Possible: Reorganizing the World So it Works for Everyone. Interview with SheEO Founder Vicki SaundersIn a world where 2 % of the venture capital flows to 51 % of the population (read that again), how do women and non-binary founders find success, impact and reach their dreams? Vicki Saunders and SheEO are reinventing the world, so it works for everyone. Vicki is the creator and founder of the hashtag radical generosity and SheEO, a radically generous community supporting women + non-binary people working on the World's To-Do List. What I deeply admire about Vicki is when she didn't like the inequality she was witnessing and experiencing in business, she used her frustration to reimagine a new world and business m...2022-01-2850 min
The Feminine EdgeBuilding Your Business by Trusting Your Instincts to Serve: Cat McGuire, Founder WholeHeartedWhat if tuning in and listening to your instincts to “do something” to make a difference lead you to your next business opportunity? Trusting your instincts, care and taking bold action is precisely how most women start their business. Catherine McGuire (Cat) knew she had to jump into action to help support her local community at the pandemic's start. Previously an event planner, she knew how to take an idea and move quickly. Fuel the Superheroes was born with the help of her husband, Jake. The two of them jumped into action, providing nourishing lunches to local healthcare providers. Cat...2022-01-1344 min
The Feminine EdgeEradicating Childhood Sexual Abuse: Interview with Angela Johnston, CEO Priority KidsAngela Johnson, the CEO of Priority Kids, is on a mission to eradicate childhood sexual abuse. Her company, Priority Kids, works with youth-serving organizations to support the development and enrichment of child sexual abuse prevention strategies through education and partnerships to increase the skill and capacity of the broader community. The statistics on childhood sexual abuse are staggering. While having critical statistical information is essential, as Angela shares, simply knowing about childhood sexual abuse doesn't change the outcomes. One of the biggest challenges Angela faces, despite the alarming statistics, is overcoming the discomfort we have talking about childhood sexual a...2022-01-0452 min
The Feminine EdgeManaging the awkwardness of the moment to hold your boundariesDefining what's ok and not ok for you and the boundaries you need and want to be at your best is essential. I shared Kelly's story identifying her boundaries with her team in part one. But, defining our boundaries is only the first step. Practicing holding our boundaries with a team member, client or family is can be a growth edge. Keeping a boundary can feel awkward or challenging. You want to hold your boundary and take care of your relationships. But how do you do both? In part two, we check in with Kelly, and I share six...2021-12-1431 min
The Feminine EdgeFeeling Underappreciated? Check Your BoundariesHave you ever had the feeling your time, skill and contributions are underappreciated? Or maybe you feel taken for granted. In either situation, It's not a great feeling. But the worst part is, it's frequently our fault. If we don't have and communicate what's ok and not ok for us, others are left to guess or figure it out. Having clear boundaries serve as a compass, helping align our actions and relationships with our intention, care and values. Boundaries help us make decisions and act as guideposts for the behaviours we will accept from others, what we will commit o...2021-12-0729 min
The Feminine EdgeLearning to Receive and to Release OvergivingOffering to be helpful to others is likely part of your everyday interactions. We often give our talents, ideas, energy and time willingly and often. And being helpful often makes us feel good and that we have something valuable to contribute. Being helpful and generous with our time and talent is essential and, most likely, a part of who you are as a woman, business owner or leader. However, when we don’t know how to receive from others, we create disharmony between giving and receiving. If we are consistently over-giving and under-receiving, we wind up feeling un...2021-11-2527 min
The Feminine EdgeLeading in The Unknown: A Conversation With Claudine BennettWhat does a wool sweater have to do with adapting to ongoing change and transition? More than you may anticipate! Claudine Bennett, RN, MScN Director of Public Health Emergencies and Communications at the Region of Peel in Ontario, invites us into the less visible side of the pandemic response. Public Health nurses and professionals have been instrumental in supporting and protecting our communities through programs and information throughout the pandemic. Claudine shares how leading during constant and high-velocity change requires you to trust yourself to make the best decisions, even in the face of rapidly changing information. Believing you...2021-11-0458 min
The Feminine EdgeHelping Women Rise by Strengthening Our Community with Jassy HundalHave you ever wondered about what it takes to create a community where everyone can thrive? I know this much; it takes passionate and dedicated leadership to drive change through inspired action. My guest, Jassy Hundal, is a dynamic community leader with extensive experience in the not-for-profit space. A strong advocate for diversity and women’s rights, Jassy leads the United Way Women United program. We explore the impact the pandemic has had on women and families and the many layers of Jassy helps us see the often less visible yet critical work social service agencies, programs an...2021-10-2247 min
The Feminine EdgeIt's More Than a Feeling: Building Financial Wellbeing with Saijal PatelWhat is financial wellbeing? Saijal Patel is the Founder and CEO of Saij Elle, a financial consultancy and education platform with a mission to help women create financial independence and security through her Strictly Money program and her TV show, Strictly Money. We explore how women can entangle self-worth and economic status and the impact on our confidence. Saijal shares her definition of financial wellbeing, and it's more than just a feeling. She maps out key milestones to bridge the gap between where you are today and building a sustainable, growth oriented financial future healthy financial future. We...2021-09-2441 min
The Feminine EdgeTaking Care of Your Financial Fitness with Tracey BissettMoney’s a critical tool. We need it to run our business, pay ourselves and grow and scale our services and impact. But I’ve learned that money is rarely held as a tool, both through my own experiences with money and in hundreds of conversations with women. More often, money comes with many stories and emotions, influencing our feelings around self-worth and having value. In this episode, Tracey Bissett of Bissett Financial Fitness joins me to take a closer look at the mindset traps we tend to fall into, common mistakes around money, and strategies to build your...2021-09-1549 min
The Feminine EdgeWhen the Disrupter is DisruptedIf you are frequently in a position to be a disrupter and changemaker, essentially a leader or entrepreneur, you've likely honed your skills in managing uncertainty. In fact, you may even intentionally create uncertainty to grow, learn and create new services or offerings. However, in this episode, we look at navigating the disruptions we didn't intend to create or even see coming, the ones that knock us off our game and interrupt the flow of our work and life. These can be hard moments, and the creative and proactive approach that we have cultivated as a leader can be...2021-09-0328 min
The Feminine EdgeRe-imagining Your Career Part FourLearn to read the world and determine how to align your unique strengths, values, and care to blend with the marketplace. If you are listening in and you haven’t checked out episodes 36, 37, and 38 then go back, listen and do the work if not now, then after this episode. They all fit together. If you have been along the ride with me on the reimagining your career series then you have renewed clarity on your care, your strengths, values, and unique capabilities, and you’ve reflected on the future, you want to create. Now you want to m...2021-08-2632 min
The Feminine EdgeReimagining Your Career Part ThreeYour vision for your future is the north star for guiding your approach to the next evolution for your career. In this third session of my four-part series on Reimagining Your Career, I share a process to think expansively and to begin to refine what you want next in your career. Your career is an expression of how you take care of your future and the things your care about; whether you do this working inside an organization, running your business or through other board or volunteer avenues is Visioning is energy, and it’s also somewhat abstract. De...2021-08-1929 min
The Feminine EdgeOwning Your Value and Creating a Foundation For Your FutureIn the first episode of this series, we established that your career reflects your care and how your actions speak to how you care for what matters to you. Redesigning your career is a growth move, and it begins with owning your value and creating a foundation. Taking stock to assess and acknowledge the skills, experiences, strengths, and perspectives you have acquired to date empowers you to own your value. We establish our ground from which to grow by evaluating and highlighting our unique gifts and abilities. With this foundation, we are positioned to look...2021-06-1036 min
The Feminine EdgeBeyond the Next Title or Position: Reimagining Your Career. A Four Part SeriesYou’ve checked the boxes and become an expert in your field, You excel in what you deliver and your career reflects a series of progressive moves and wins. Yet, you are increasingly ambivalent about what’s next, caught between expectations and the external drivers of success and a longing for something more. In this four-part series, I will share how to redesign and revitalize your next career evolution. In part one, I share an alternative perspective and interpretation for your career and critical questions and practices to get you started.2021-06-0238 min
The Feminine EdgeDo You Love Your Inner Oppressors More Than Your Ambitions?Do you give more credibility to your story of not-good-enough than to your ambitions for your future? In this episode, I reveal the touchstone experience which illuminated how pervasive feelings of insufficiency can be and how it can stronghold us into playing small. I share 7 key questions and strategies to stop giving your energy to your inner oppressor so you can focus on your ambitions and unleash your brilliance. If you resonate with the strategies and ideas I share in my podcast, consider subscribing to our email list https://tinyurl.com/4yk5ee2v If y...2021-05-271h 37
The Feminine EdgeDisrupting the Status Quo: My Interview with June Tavenor, Catalyst Health SolutionsJune Tavenor, RN, is passionate about disrupting the status quo in healthcare and the founder of Catalyst Health Solutions in Newfoundland and Labrador. June’s clear mission to drive positive change by offering effective and efficient home care solutions has been a driving force in building her company. She shares the critical role relationships play, even with competitors, in scaling her business. We explore the advantages of being small in a big system and her trend predictions for the future of healthcare.2021-05-2050 min
The Feminine EdgeDefining Moments: An Interview With Connie Clerici, Founder, Closing the Gap HealthcareHave you ever had a defining moment set a fire under you to take action to make a difference? Connie Clerici the founder and now Executive Chair of the Board at Closing the Gap Healthcare, shares her conviction to make a difference was the driver behind her decision to create her own healthcare company. Today the company employs over 2000 professionals and has a thirty-year track record of providing excellence in service delivery. But it didn’t start there. Connie worked for years without an income, taking on every aspect of the business. Connie shares the importance of living your va...2021-05-131h 07
The Feminine EdgeHow Alignment Fuels Ambition and Conviction to the Future You DesireAs a business owner and coach for female leaders and founders, I’ve gained valuable insights into the critical factors you need to sustain your ambition and passion. In several podcast interviews, you will hear the passion these women have for their work. But what fuels their fire? Alignment. It’s the catalyst driving unwavering conviction in your vision, the force behind bold action, risks tolerance and challenging barriers. Listen in as I share how to create and nurture the powerful force of alignment. 2021-05-0643 min
The Feminine EdgeLove What You Do: Success Secrets to a Thriving Business Partnership with Gail Donner and Mary WheelerWhat does it take to build a thriving, innovative and fun business partnership? In this episode, Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler, partners in donnerwheeler Consultants bring their entrepreneurial joy and fire to our conversation. Tune in to hear how taking a chance to pursue an opportunity turned into a 30-year business venture that is still going strong. They share the critical insights to their success including the importance of nurturing your network, being purpose-driven and knowing your niche. 2021-04-291h 10
The Feminine EdgeReclaim Your Focus by Learning To Ride The Wave of EmotionsAre your emotions driving your decisions? When emotion has you hooked, it influences the choices and possibilities you see in action. Emotions are like waves, they wash over us and sometimes pull us into their undertow. They can be powerful guides or distractors. Unaware of emotional grabs, we lose traction and focus. Heightening awareness and learning to influence emotions will help us focus and cultivates resilience. In this episode, I offer four practices to navigate the hook of powerful emotions.2021-04-2318 min
The Feminine EdgeSay Yes to Your IdeasWhen was the last time you said yes to taking a chance, launching an initiative, or pursuing a new opportunity? Saying yes to your ideas strengthens self-trust and your capabilities. Taking action on your ideas is the most powerful way I’ve learned to reframe limiting beliefs, get unstuck and develop risk-taking confidence. Confidence expands with every new action you take to convert your vision into inspired action. In this episode, I walk you through six strategies to help you say yes to YOU and your ideas.2021-04-2035 min
The Feminine EdgeHow to Clearly and Skillfully Ask for What You Need and Set Others Up for Successfully DeliverHave you ever wondered why you don't get what you want when you ask your team member, co-worker, kids or partner to do something for you? It’s frustrating when you ask for help, and you find yourself disappointed with the results. We assume it has to do with the other person, that they can't get it right. However, what I've learned and coach my clients to practice is the skill of making a clear request. The lacklustre results are often on us as leaders and our lack of clarity in asking for what we want. 2021-04-0742 min
The Feminine EdgeTrusting Yourself with Emmy Award Winner Monica PierreMy guest Monica Pierre is a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, founder and executive producer of The Powerhouse Woman Show. Monica reveals the power of self-trust to guide us towards work grounded in dignity and alignment with your unique genius or soul's work. Taking cues from the people around you, saying yes to unexpected opportunities, and recognizing when we are out of alignment with our work empowers us to build a business and life where we can share our greatest gifts and contributions. 2021-03-1845 min
The Feminine EdgeManaging Your Reputation and Social Capital with Kristine LeadbetterBuilding social capital, managing your brand reputation and developing a community that will stand for your success is essential for cracking the glass ceiling. Kristine Leadbetter, founder of the Women’s Network founder discusses her research and the critical skills women need to cultivate to advance their career and professional growth. We dig into navigating barriers such as visibility discomfort, perfectionism, imposter syndrome and defining success on your own terms. Learn more https://womensnetwork.ca/2021-03-0340 min
The Feminine EdgeBelieve in Yourself with Anne DayBelieving in yourself, having a sisterhood of support, and taking risks are the essential keys to Anne’s success. Listen in as my co-author Anne Day shares her journey in writing, business, and a life well-lived. Anne is the founder of two companies supporting women, The Company of Women and Full Circle Publishing, a publishing house focused on helping women become authors and get their books into the world. She’s also the host of the podcast Day by Day, author of seven books, and an award-winning entrepreneur. 2021-02-2435 min
The Feminine EdgeThe Lunch that Launched a Book: Becoming an author and creating a body of work.Trusting synergy and saying yes to new opportunities even when you’re unsure you’ll be successful, is how I became an author. In a lunch with co-author Anne Day, a book idea was born and a three-year adventure connecting to over 350 women to uncover what holds them back began. Mining the stories of over 150 interviews, we uncovered core themes that drive feelings of not good enough and identified strategies to get women unstuck resulting in our book Good Enough Embrace who you are. Unleash your Brilliance.2021-02-1826 min
The Feminine EdgeSecuring a Digital Future for Women with Maxim CramerMaxim Cramer helps women entrepreneurs create world-class software by removing communication barriers between their vision and technical teams. She’s the CEO of Mennenia with a mission to double the number of female-founded tech businesses globally, securing a digital future for women. She’s developed apps with millions of downloads in one day and she shares exciting news about a new app she’s developed. We discuss the biggest tech mistakes women entrepreneurs make and ways you can begin to leverage tech today.2021-02-1140 min
Day by Day - Stories of business, life and everything in betweenRelationships- let's start with ourselvesWe often think of February as being the month of love and romance. But in this episode, we look at our relationship with ourselves, and how if we don't believe in ourselves, how can we ask other people to. My guest is Amy Vodarek, my co-author on the book Good Enough, a book we wrote back in 2017 but which sadly is still relevant today in that many women still don't feel good enough. Amy is a leadership coach working with women to step into their power, and become who they are meant to be.2021-02-0930 min
The Feminine EdgeInfluencing Change by Leveraging Your Thought Leadership With Eva JannottaEva Jannotta helps women leaders to defy the status quo, amplify their influence and expand their wealth and power. She’s guided many of today’s prominent women leaders including bestselling authors, TEDx speakers, and LinkedIn’s top influencers to develop their thought leader voice and content. Eva reveals the challenges women face claiming their thought leadership and offers valuable, practices and strategies to help expand our thought leadership skills so we can lead with impact and influence change.2021-02-0446 min
The Feminine EdgeThis Critical Practice is a Game Changer for Women LeadersAs a seasoned leader and professional, you're an expert at finding time where little exists, planning projects, and leveraging the power of your calendar to maintain progress and accountability. But do you have time scheduled to think and consider? Have you allowed space to reflect on what's working, not working, or reconnect to your vision and cares? We can be so adept at planning that we miss the blocking unscheduled time to tune into our wisdom and think strategically. In this kick-off of season two, I share a story about how white space is critical for us to leverage...2021-01-2832 min
The Feminine EdgeEquity, Diversity and Inclusion and The Courage to Act with Leena Sharma SethWe all have an innate desire to feel we are a contribution and to find meaning in the work we do. Founder and CEO of Mending the Chasm, Leena Sharma Seth offers valuable insights to help us learn to create bridges where racism and inequity exist. Cultivating the will and commitment to create a world where everyone can thrive calls on each of us to step up, take a risk and to listen deeply to each other to learn how we can move forward together. Her Inside Out Program helps leaders create an action plan to disrupt racism and bu...2020-12-1051 min
The Feminine EdgeHope and Healing Through Genuine Connection with Michelle CooperIn this interview with Michelle Cooper, Executive Coach, and Healthy Workplace Culture Expert, we explore specific practices that foster hope, healing, and wellbeing during rapidly changing and uncertain times. Often the simple act of being present with another to listen, practicing gratitude, and focusing on contribution is the avenue to nurturing our soul and resiliency.2020-11-2641 min
The Feminine EdgeAre You a Drifter or Designer? Part 3To shift from drifting to designing your future we need to be aware of the invisible barriers that can keep you from realizing your full potential and develop strategies to help us navigate them. In part three of this mini-series examining the often-invisible obstacles on your path to your success, I unpack the final 3 obstacles, mood, cultivating a learning mindset, and raising your standards to help you chart a bold course forward.2020-11-1229 min
Life After Corporate31. Taming Your Inner Critic, with Amy Vodarek of Insight Edge🌞Welcome to Life After Corporate podcast, Amy. 2:29 👩🎓Amy’s path from academia, teaching, and a healthcare career to coaching and writing. 3:52 📖 How Amy’s love for coaching and workshops developed and how she became a co-author of the book ‘Good Enough’. 7:53 ️🗣️ ‘The Whisper’ inside of us is persistent, it is the ‘stone in your shoe’ that you must deal with. 12:48 😰 Women are oftentimes more willing to live a life with discomfort and to sweep it all under the rug.16:14 📝 Research results in inner criticism among women entrepreneurs. 19:41 🧜♀️ The difference between embarrassment and perfectionism. 22:18 🤓 If it needs to be perfect, you will never laun...2020-10-1947 min
The Feminine EdgeAre You a Drifter or Designer? Part TwoInvisible barriers are like tree roots, they trip us up, fling us to the ground as we are hiking towards what we want for our business, lives, and future. Unless we can see the root, we will continue to trip and struggle. In part two of this mini-series From Drift to Design, we explore the invisible barriers of missing promises and lackluster habits and define strategies to help you move powerfully and with momentum towards designing the future you want. 2020-10-0728 min
The Feminine EdgeAre You a Drifter or Designer?Are you feeling a sense of disconnect from your dreams and ambition? Circumstances and breakdowns can throw us off our game and into patterns and beliefs allow us to drift into the future. We all experience moments when life’s challenges take us to our edge; we lose our way and sense of purpose. From my lens as a coach, I see two ways to manage these moments: either by drift or design. In this mini-series From Drift to Design, I share 7 invisible barriers that can trip us up on our path to being designers of our fu...2020-10-0132 min
The Feminine EdgeBreaking Open: Transformation through facing change and challengeFacing, as I’ve come to learn over my years as a coach is the gateway for transformation to occur. Facing into and being with the paradox of emotions that change and challenge bring requires us to be with the discomfort rather than avoid it. During situations where we are facing the unknown, we need to hold steady and trust the discomfort. It’s through being with the discomfort we can give space for new insights, courage, and possibility to emerge.2020-09-0227 min
The Feminine EdgeMaking the leap from corporate to entrepreneurship with Deb BoulangerAre you thinking of launching a business? Amy’s guest this week is Deb Boulanger, the CEO of The Great Do-Over, founder of The Launch Lab and host of the Life After Corporate podcast. Personal hurdles prompted Deb to leave a very successful, lucrative corporate career and use her business acumen to build her own successful company, We discuss navigating risk by validating your big idea and dealing with self-sabotage and perfectionism so you can own your value and create a profitable business you love.2020-08-2643 min
The Feminine EdgeCreating an Authentic Personal Brand with Rita ZietsmaIs your personal brand creating resonating with your ideal client? In this interview, personal brand expert and photographer Rita Zietsma reveals it all comes down to sharing your authentic self and aligning what you do to who you are. Your authentic personal brand and images create a visual story and connection with the people you want to serve. Learn to create an authentic visual brand by releasing society’s artificial, external standards for beauty, dropping the comparison game and embracing your unique essence and personality.2020-08-1937 min
The Feminine EdgeAre we there yet? Sustaining momentum through the power of small winsDo you ever look at where you’re heading and wish you were there already? When you have a bold vision we can feel we are not progressing fast enough and we should be further ahead. This feeling can be pervasive, eroding enthusiasm, and leaving you feeling frustrated. In this episode, I offer four key strategies; time for reflection, stop comparisonitis in its tracks, design smaller milestones, and create a win board.Implementing these four practices will help you see progress, feel energized, and forward momentum.2020-08-1229 min
The Feminine EdgeInterview with Saphia Khambalia: Going inward to redefine success and happinessSaphia Khambalia, you may know her best as a journalist and national TV anchor for The Weather Network and for CBC news. A busy mom of 3 young children, she shares how she’s navigating COVID, career, and family. Saphia offers powerful insights about how COVID has turned out to be her life class in reframing success, in intentionally seeking moments of happiness and going inward to for the answers. We dive into feelings of “comparisonitis” and letting go of external expectations to refine how we create success on our own terms.2020-08-0841 min
The Feminine EdgeTuning Into Your Inner Wise Voice: How to quiet the noise, tame the critic and to listen to your wise counsel.Amplifying and listening to your wise voice and inner intuitive counsel will expand your confidence and trust in your decision making helping you accelerate achieving your goals and bold vision. In this episode, we unpack distinct characteristics of your wise, intuitive voice, and key practices to help you listen to it. When you tune into you’re wise self, you become more aligned and bolder to pursue your vision2020-07-2931 min
The Feminine EdgeTaming Your Inner CriticHow we talk to ourselves in our inner, private conversation influences our choices, actions, and the results we create. The inner critic voice aims to dim our light, keep us small and ultimately, safe from failure, humiliation, or from shining too brightly. Disparaging and judgemental, our inner critic can sidetrack us from going after our bold vision. In this 2-part podcast mini-series, you will learn to recognize and tame the inner critic voice and learn to tune into your wiser more powerful self.2020-07-2245 min
The Feminine EdgeIs Perfection Lurking in the Shadows?Do your brilliant initiatives fade to black before they are ever launched?. We can wait to perfect our idea hoping to ensure that what we release will result in our envisioned success. Procrastinating and hesitating to launch are clues perfection is lurking in the shadows. In this episode, I throw down the gauntlet and challenge you to block the time in your calendar, commit to the next action, and take the next small step. Launch it, Get feedback, learn and revise it. As Seth Godin would say, ship it. 2020-07-1517 min
The Feminine EdgeIs Your Energy Tanking? 5 practices for creating a vitality resetAre you feeling like the hinge holding everything together? Lately my clients are sharing with me they are working really hard to keep everything and everyone on track, shoring up emotional support, keeping kids, parents, partners cared for, masking up for the groceries all while keeping up with their critical goals and key promises. Feeling pulled in many directions, fatigue, frustration, and feeling overextended can make you feel disconnected, ungrounded and distracted. This is costly to your wellbeing, relationship and fulfillment. There are 5 specific activities I walk through to release the habit of over-extending: Reflect, C...2020-07-0825 min
The Feminine EdgeExpand Your Influence Through ListeningSpeaking up to share our ideas, expertise and opinions is critical for effective leadership and, it’s important to convey our message with clarity. However, even more important to influential leadership is attentive listening. Listening with our full presence has a powerful impact on those we wish to influence. Listening validates the person speaking, whether it’s your team member, staff, or clients. When we are fully engaged, present, and listening to what is said and, what isn’t said, we not only convey how important the person speaking is to us, we also gain valuable insight into their perspe...2020-07-0121 min
The Feminine EdgeFuture Financial Thinking: Are you willing to own your financial future?Jackie Porter is an award-winning financial planner who has been in the financial industry for the past 22 years serving thousands of families, established businesses, and professionals in the Greater Toronto Area. Her practice focuses on cash flow management and tax planning strategies. Jackie is one of Canada’s most recognized financial planners. Her advice and financial strategies have been featured in top financial publications such as Forum, Wealth Professional, Investment Executive, and The Globe & Mail. Many have benefited from her sound and actionable financial advice offered at business conferences, radio interviews, podcasts, and television programs such as CB...2020-06-2441 min
The Feminine EdgeDo You Trust Yourself? Nine strategies to expand your self-trustMuch has been written about women lacking confidence, needing confidence, and why confidence is crucial for women to lead successfully. I don’t disagree, confidence is a critical component of leadership and success. Confidence is critical for women entrepreneurs and leaders, to take risks and actions to make your vision come to reality. And I imagine that if you are listening to this, confidence is not your main concern. I’m guessing you are in a place today where you have developed and nurtured your confidence muscle by stepping into challenging and sometimes risky situations. 2020-06-1727 min
The Feminine EdgeMaking Decisions in Complex TimesAre you finding waiting to have all the information to make a decision is a luxury you can't afford? In this episode, we'll explore making decisions during complex times and distill down strategies to help you to breakdown the complexity and design the next steps. We'll dive into seven key steps to help you untangle your decision-making approach and examine the best available information and to trust our wise self when making decisions in complex times. 2020-06-1015 min
The Feminine EdgeWhere is your attention? Managing intention, attention and energyAs women leading in organizations, our own enterprise, and in our communities, managing our energy is crucial, especially right now. There are many important activities and people we care about who want and need our full attention. And it’s easy to be distracted by the barrage of news updates, changing client and employee needs, family concerns, and our own wellbeing. In this episode, I share 7 strategies for keeping your energy up and your attention on the things that matter most.2020-06-0326 min
The Feminine EdgeWelcome Visionary Women and Change-MakersWelcome to Insight Edge with Amy, I'm glad you've tuned in. In this first episode, I share why I've started my podcast and why it matters to me. In each episode, I'll be sharing strategies and insights to help women take decisive action and chart a powerful course for the future. I believe when women can fully own their unique genius, confidently speak up where they used to hold back, take decisive action and practice radical self-care, the world benefits. Tune in weekly for new insights, learnings, and interviews to help you lead with power, presence, and impact. 2020-05-2708 min
AI Literacy for EntrepreneursThe discomfort of discovery with Amy VodarekIt’s that time again, folks, when the stars are still out 🌟🌟🌟 and your bed is SO WARM – The 4 AM Report is back! In this episode we're talking about what’s keeping Amy Vodarek up at night. Founder of Insight Edge, she’s a coach, consultant, author and educator, who works with women leaders, their teams and organizations with care, passion, and interest in action. “Once you begin the practices to enhance self-awareness, you begin to see new possibilities everywhere and, no longer feel boxed in or trapped. Life becomes more generative and expansive as opportunities for c...2020-02-2025 min
The Leadership LeapAre You Good Enough to be a Leader?Women often worry about being ‘good enough’ to be a leader and too often hold themselves back from stepping into the role either within organizations or their own businesses. In this episode of The Leadership Leap, we will chat with Anne Day and Amy Vodarek, authors of Good Enough: Embrace Who You Are. Unleash Your Brilliance, and discuss what it means to women to be ‘good enough’ and how it impacts our progress. We will talk about what women say about themselves and what we need to do to be more confident about being 'good enough'.We will also discuss the shif...2020-01-2356 min
The Art of ChangeThe Art of Change (22) Finding Joy and Success on Your Terms: Letting go of “Striving” and “Driving”Pamela - https://pamela-thompson.com/, and her guest, Amy Vodarek, Founder of Insight Edge Leadership Development - https://www.insightedge.ca/, discuss common themes from their research with women including key messages and strategies from their best selling books.2019-11-0858 min