Today’s guest was forced to figure out how she fits in the world.

She started her second career as a means of survival. Fighting discrimination, harassment, and homelessness she found employment as a part-time associate and then rose to national VP of Diversity and Inclusion in less than 5 years at PNC Bank. She captured this process of career development in her new award-winning book and online course called “Empowering Differences.”

She has worked tirelessly to promote awareness and acceptance of gender identity and expression. She serves on the Corporate Advisory Council for the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and is the immediate past chair for NGLCC’s global TGX Initiative. In 2019, she was voted on the National Board of Directors for GLAAD.

She speaks locally and nationally about her transition, workplace equality, leadership, change management, and empowerment. She has also been interviewed in several publications and media outlets, including Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Business Journal, ABC, and CBS.

Please join me in welcoming Ashley T Brundage.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is someone who drives empowerment for people. They understand the APP of empowerment; authority, power, and how that connects to people.”
• the importance of empowering others and yourself.
• how she spent most of her youth hiding.
• her start in the restaurant business to avoid going to college and being seen in the world.
• her losing her job, and house, and how being homeless changed her outlook on life.
• how she came out as trans to her children when they were 5 and 3.
• the journey of trying to find a new job after coming out and how that led to her research in empowerment.
• how she used her own story and connected it to her research while working at PNC Bank.
• her goal to replace her PNC salary by creating a solid exit strategy.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer levels of her network, including some fantastic LinkedIn tips on growing your network.
• what she’s looking forward to in the next year.

Today’s guest loves solving the hardest puzzles, from crosswords to jigsaws to the meaning of life.

He is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, including "The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World" and "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible."

His TED talks have been seen more than 10 million times. He writes for popular publications, including The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and New York magazine. He has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN.

Please join me in welcoming A.J. Jacobs.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is a suitcase word - it can mean a whole bunch of things. My favorite kind of leadership is mentorship.”
• tips on how to engage a mentor, including adding a bit of humor.
• how curiosity and openness made him a better leader.
  the experience of being friends with and navigating very different social circles.
• his origins of wanting to be a writer and his start as an author.
• his journey of reading the encyclopedia Brittanica to try and learn everything.
• the process of pitching his first book, including almost not pitching it.
• how relationships and networking led to his first TED talk, and how he almost deleted the invitation.
• finding his 12th cousin - another email where a “crazy email” led to something great.
• how he pitched “sex advice from the bible” to Glamour and not only did it get accepted but received millions of views.
• his cadence for creating projects in his life and business.
  the need for social interaction and why it’s so important.
• how he nurtures and sustains the outer layers of his network.
• what he is looking most forward to in the next year.

Today’s guest considers herself an accidental advocate, motivating others to embrace the kind of social behaviors that trigger societal shifts.

Experienced in fostering open dialogue in professional settings, she helps build awareness and visibility of equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competencies that serve as a foundation for improved collaboration, cooperation, and communication.

She is an inclusion activist whose TEDx Talk “Coming Out of Your Closet” became a viral sensation. Her intrepid, relatable, and intrinsically comical style has made her an in-demand speaker, including events at Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Bank of America, and keynoting an LGBTQ Conference at Harvard University.

She is a speaker, equality advocate, and author of “Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader.”

Please join me in welcoming Ash Beckham.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is both a willingness and an ability to be the example.”
• how she learned to be an example of leadership while playing basketball in high school. “Heart doesn’t score baskets.”
• understanding the world outside of our responsibility.
• finding greatness in a supportive role.
• her desire to work in corporate America because her parents were entrepreneurs.
• how she learned that there wasn’t only one way to be.
• her first business owning a vegan Indian food cart.
• what she learned at her first Ignite event about being passionate while delivering a message.
• how to support and be visible authentically as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and avoid paralysis of politeness.
• how Ash nurtures and sustains the outer levels of her network.
• how she incorporates networking into the micro moments of her day.
• what she’s looking forward to in the next year.

Today’s guest is a maven, passionate about learning and sharing what she’s learned.

She is an accumulator of knowledge with an emphasis on technology, communication, and organization. She wants her team and her community to have access to the tools, resources, and information that will make their lives and jobs easier. She believes there is nothing better than helping someone else feel empowered with a new skill and newfound confidence.

Relationships are important to her, and working in a collaborative team environment excites her every day.

On a personal note, today’s guest is also my wife. My business success is possible because I have her ongoing support and encouragement.

Please join me in welcoming Jess M. Samuels.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is knowing what kind of leader to be. It’s being organized to see other people’s visions come to fruition. I lead from the middle.”
• her experience in school learning academics through the creative process.
• her college experience and going in undecided while following a science path just in case that’s what she wanted to do.
• how she became involved in Residence Life in her second year in college.
• her learning how to speak out in more creative ways.
  discovering how to make a plan to dive into Residence Life.
• the confidence Jess built in the position.
  the experience of nurturing her network in a big city (Boston, MA).
• what she learned during her 12-year position at Simmons College.
• how she transitioned into EdTech.
• her strategy of using her network to connect with people in the EdTech field.
• how she grows and nurtures her network.