Today’s guest has been called "The da Vinci of visionary leadership".

Named among the top eight global experts in leadership and shortlisted for the Distinguished Award in Leadership by Thinkers50, he is a global thought leader, author, business educator, consultant, and C-suite coach.

He is helping companies to create and execute their vision, and achieve superior business performance. You can find him on Global Gurus Top 30 in Leadership and is the #1 Global Leading Coach (Marshall Goldsmith Thinkers50).

His research identifies entrepreneurs’ and managers’ strategic needs in the areas of leadership and helps leaders to become the masters of the future and achieve new levels of success. He is the author of five books including “The Vision Code,” “LEADEROLOGY,” and “Corporate Superpower.”

Please join me in welcoming Oleg Konovalov.

In this episode we discuss:

his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is not about solving for today. Leadership is defining what the future will be and how to lead people into that future.”
Oleg’s focus on thinking forward and how to unlock your mindset to be a better leader.
why it’s OK to be a troublemaker.
his focus on being of service to those around him.
why his favorite saying is “if you are the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room” and why that’s important to him.
Oleg’s interesting take on accolades and awards vs. always working hard.
his collaboration with his colleague, John Spence, who I will be interviewing in a future episode.
Oleg’s definition of coaching and why he only coaches people in specific topics.
how he uses time zones to his advantage for connecting and engaging with others.
how he nurtures and sustains the outer layers of his network.

Today’s guest helps leaders and teams become the best of who they are and what they do.

She is the founder and owner of Cognitas, an executive and team coaching firm. Her clients include premier brands such as Adobe, Netflix, PwC, Gap, Dropbox, Stripe, and numerous high-growth start-ups. She specializes in helping her clients lead and thrive in fast-paced, constantly changing, and uncertain environments.

Earlier in her career, she was a management consultant with PwC and led numerous teams and projects to help companies scale and implement large-scale strategic change. Following that, she held executive-level positions at both a digital marketing agency and a private equity firm.

In her coaching practice, she helps leaders and teams create adaptive solutions that address their most pressing challenges, enhance their effectiveness, and capitalize on opportunities.

She is a regular contributor to HBR, Fast Company, and Forbes, writing about leadership and strategies for high performance.

Please join me in welcoming Dina Denham Smith.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is a choice or a stance, not a title. Leaders inspire others to follow through free-will, not authority.”
• her mentors throwing her to the “deep end” in her job and how that affected her leadership skills.
• the lessons her dad has shared with her, including the power of purpose.
• growing up at an all-boys boarding school where her parents taught.
• how she chose her field in college and all the things she had considered being entrepreneurially-minded.
• how an internship and experience at PwC led to a full-time offer.
• her dedication for wanting to improve people’s experience at their jobs because they spend the majority of their time working.
• her tips on equipping oneself with a toolbox to be the very best at anything.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer layers of her network.
• why she feels networking is a loaded word and should be rebranded.

Today’s guest is passionate about helping thought leaders, business leaders, and podcast hosts design and elevate their podcast presence.

She is a podcasting coach & consultant with deep experience in podcasting and content creation. She built Spartan's podcast from zero to over 35 million views and downloads and has worked on a range of projects from social media advisor on a gubernatorial campaign, to creating the documentary film "Flood Bound", to directing TV ads for Vermont Lottery.

On her podcast "Grounded Content" she explores what works, what drives customer actions, and where the lines are between persuasion and manipulation.

Please join me in welcoming Marion Abrams.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is keeping everyone focused on the ultimate goal.”
• how growing up in a small town instilled some very important values in her life.
• the best library story you might ever hear in your life.
• her college experience, including transferring to three different schools in 3 years.
• her love of film, and eventually, podcast.
• the circumstances around why and how she started a podcast.
• the importance of knowing and understanding goals along with the resources available to you.
• her passion for directing the podcast experience.
• how to create a truly engaging experience for both your podcast guest and your audience.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network.

Today’s guest knows the power of mentorship and self-development.

He started his first company right out of college in advertising.  He eventually pivoted from advertising into technology and now is a business automation consultant. He is big on self-development and loves to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone, through speaking engagements or coaching and mentoring.

He is a master connector with over 17,000 contacts on his phone and over 13,000 connections on LinkedIn. He contributes much of his successes to a strong work ethic, a can-do, never-quit attitude, discipline, integrity, and fearlessness that he cultivated in the martial arts. He does a LinkedIn Live broadcast every week called the Master Connections Series.

Please join me in welcoming Steve Spiro.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “My leadership is a work in progress. Leaders empower and develop people instead of managing them.”
• the two biggest sources of his experience; working at his dad’s store and karate.
• his experience not being the guy that was picked for things and how that contributed to his growth and his empathy.
• how he reinvented himself at camp because he had the freedom of being around people that didn’t know him.
• his education experience and his shift from childhood anonymity to being a master connector.
• a life-changing trip to Ireland during his advertising career and how he met his mentor (his GPS).
• understanding the impact of relationships and connections.
  his deep mission for wanting to impact others.
• solid advice for how to get started with any mentor.
• the difference between coach & mentor.
• how he nurtures and sustains his vast network.

Today’s guest’s mission is to open event leaders' minds and hearts to the possibility within them.

She is a 2x TEDx speaker and host of the popular podcast From Fear to Fire. She stimulates vibrant energy, focus, and action for those who want to collaborate effectively, lead change, and achieve massive results. She is an international speaker, behavioral expert, author of several books, including “Where's the Office?: Moving Today's Leaders from What IS to What CAN BE.”

With expertise in virtual, hybrid, and live events, as well as her focus on helping individuals and companies break through fears, judgments, and blocks to reach sales and leadership success, her innovative keynotes are in high demand during these changing times.

Please join me in welcoming Heather Hansen O'Neill.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is the ability to lead oneself in a way that comes from character and showing up so that it inspires and energizes others to be better leaders.”
• why she asks her teams how would they solve a problem.
  the importance of embracing who you are in order to move forward.
• how she had to calm herself down growing up and learned to express herself through dance and using her body as her voice.
• the importance of being grounded and going deeper inside oneself.
• her college experience and making a huge decision honoring herself and what she wanted and needed.
• the end of her dance career and deciding on entrepreneurship as the next step.
• the journey of finding a mentor and following through on his advice and building her business.
• her strategies in networking.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network along with some great suggestions to nurture your own network.