The Balancing Act with Andrew Temte, PhD, CFA

Episoder

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  Talent Is Everywhere, Access Isn’t with Vasanthan Ramakrishnan 23.07.2026 34min

  What does a country actually lose when it makes it harder for the world’s top talent to build a life there?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Vasanthan “Vas” Ramakrishnan — founder and principal consultant of Ascend HSI Advisory Partners, who helps high-skilled scientists, engineers, researchers, and founders navigate the extraordinary-ability pathways into the U.S., and who earned his own green card the same way.  Together they draw the line between wage arbitrage and genuine talent mobility — and make the case that a freer flow of skilled expertise tends to make economies stronger, not weaker.  Tune in to episode 255 to hear how Vas turned a job lost during COVID into an award-winning global nonprofit, why he tells anxious American workers that keeping talent out won’t protect them, and the reframe at the heart of his work: he doesn’t make his clients extraordinary — they already are.  AndrewTemte.com
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  The Business Case for Joy at Work with Bose Akadiri 16.07.2026 32min

  What if you've been chasing success backwards? What if joy isn't the reward you earn after hitting your goals — but the foundation that makes hitting them inevitable?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Bose Akadiri — motivational keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and founder and CEO of Goal and Grind LLC, where she's known as “The Joy Amplifier.”  After a decade leading corporate social responsibility at Boeing, Salesforce, and JPMorgan Chase, she wrote The Stay Joyful Method to make the business case for joy — not as a feel-good perk, but as a strategic advantage that drives retention, sharpens clarity, and moves the numbers leaders actually care about.  Tune in to episode 254 to hear why the strongest performers spend time backstage before they take the main stage, how the “joy bubble” becomes a force field when work gets hard, and what it looks like to lead with joy that has a spine — joy that's results-driven and impossible to dismiss as soft.  AndrewTemte.com
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  Situational Leadership for the Modern Workplace, with Suzie Bishop 09.07.2026 31min

  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Suzie Bishop, vice president of product development at The Center for Leadership Studies — the global home of the Situational Leadership® Model — and co-author of the newly released Situational Leadership®: The Model for Leading Others, Navigating Change, and Unlocking Performance.  A Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach who has spent more than a decade modernizing the world’s most widely used leadership framework, Suzie makes a deceptively simple case — the best leaders don’t lean on one great style; they read the person in front of them and adapt to what the moment actually requires.  Tune in to episode 253 to hear why the well-liked “nice boss” who delegates everything can quietly leave people stranded, the first move for a newly promoted high performer who’s about to fall flat, and the humbling parenting moment that reframed how Suzie thinks about leading people who have already outgrown your instructions.  AndrewTemte.com
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  Executive Presence and Communication, with Kathryn Janicek 02.07.2026 34min

  Why do so many brilliant, accomplished leaders freeze the moment the stakes get highest — losing the room before they’ve said a single word?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Kathryn Janicek — a 3x Emmy Award-winning executive presence strategist, former TV news producer, and founder of Janicek Performance Group, where she coaches Fortune 500 leaders for their highest-stakes moments.  Drawing on two decades in live television — including her time as the sole spokesperson during the 2007 I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis — Kathryn makes the case that how you show up matters every bit as much as what you say, and that presence is a skill any leader can build.  Tune in to episode 252 to hear why Kathryn calls fear “a terrible creative director,” what a bridge collapse taught her about leading through a crisis, and why, in the age of AI and deepfakes, your audience can tell in an instant when a leader’s words aren’t truly their own. It’s a practical masterclass in showing up when it counts.  AndrewTemte.com
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  Build a Book of Business One Conversation at a Time, with Deb Feder 25.06.2026 26min

  What if building a thriving book of business didn’t require working more hours, chasing leads, or scrambling to get yourself out there — but simply getting better at the conversations you’re already having?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Deb Feder — founder of Feder Development and author of the Client Conversation Series, including After Hello and her latest, Might I Suggest.  Deb practiced corporate law for more than fifteen years before turning her attention to how lawyers and professionals actually build lasting practices — and her answer has little to do with the perfect elevator pitch and everything to do with intentional, everyday connection. It’s a refreshingly human take on a skill most professionals are never actually taught.  Tune in to episode 251 to hear how caring for her grandmother reshaped the way Deb builds a business, why she pushes back hard on the idea that you’re either a “rainmaker” or you’re not, and her case that the strongest careers are still built one five-minute conversation at a time.  AndrewTemte.com
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  250 Episodes In: The Story Behind The Balancing Act with Nick Temte 18.06.2026 57min

  After 250 episodes of the Balancing Act podcast, the host becomes the guest. Producer Nick Temte steps out from behind the glass to interview his dad — and usual host — Andy Temte, in a milestone conversation about where the show started, what 250 episodes have taught him, and where it’s all going. Dr. Andrew (Andy) Temte, CFA, is an author, musician, and the former CEO of Kaplan Professional Education. He’s the author of Balancing Act: Teach, Coach, Mentor, Inspire and The Balanced Business, with two more books on the way — The Modern Golden Rule and Stop Standing Still. He founded the Balancing Act in 2019 as a way to have authentic, non-salesy conversations with business leaders, and he closes every episode with the same three words: grace, dignity, and compassion. Andy traces his own career rocket booster to a sunny August day in 1989, when — rejected by every other Big Ten PhD program — he climbed to the sixth floor of Phillips Hall at the University of Iowa to meet finance department chair Carl Schweser. A scheduled 30-minute interview became a two-hour conversation, and a lifelong mentorship that shaped everything that followed. From there, Nick and Andy retrace the origins of the show, the 2008 Great Recession story behind “grace, dignity, and compassion,” and the home studio where their father-son partnership — and their music — began.
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  One Conversation Away: Podcast Marketing with Tom Schwab 11.06.2026 26min

  What if the metrics you’re chasing — the downloads, the likes, the impressions — are quietly steering your business in the wrong direction?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Tom Schwab — founder and CEO of Interview Valet and author of Podcast Guest Profits. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate and engineer who found his way into marketing, Tom brings a systems mindset to one deceptively simple question — what are you actually optimizing for? — and to the conversations that actually grow a business, from why most podcasts die in their first ten episodes to what it takes for a leader to step out from behind the brand in an AI-driven world.  Along the way, Tom makes the case that the more technology we gain, the more human we become — and that we may all be just one conversation away from the relationship that changes everything.  Tune in to episode 249 to hear Tom’s two mentorship moments — one for the young engineer worried their degree boxed them in, one for the CEO afraid to build a public voice — and his lightning-round reminder that relationships are the one currency inflation has never touched.  AndrewTemte.com
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  The Compound Cost of the Conversations You’re Not Having — with Gustavo Razzetti 04.06.2026 26min

  What if the conversations your team isn’t having are costing you more than the ones it is?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Gustavo Razzetti — culture change instigator, CEO of Fearless Culture, and bestselling author of Remote, Not Distant, Stretch for Change, and his new book Forward Talk: The Bold New Method For Getting Teams Unstuck.  Gustavo introduces the concept of conversational debt — the compound cost of the conversations teams avoid — and unpacks the three destructive patterns that keep teams trapped: avoidance, blame, and groupthink. He explains why the corporate obsession with psychological safety has become a bandage for deeper issues, and why getting unstuck isn’t about better meetings — it’s about better conversations.  Tune in to episode 248 to hear Gustavo’s rocket-booster moment about a CEO who chose to trust his team before taking the client’s side, two mentorship moments — one for the CHRO investing in change capabilities, one for the CEO who just wants his teams to "get along" — and his closing reflection on the pointlessness paradox that quietly drains team performance.    Connect with Gustavo's work here: https://gustavorazzetti.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Forward-Talk-Method-Getting-Unstuck/dp/1646872479
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  Incorruptible: Protecting Your Corporate Ethos After Achieving Success with Eric Ries 28.05.2026 41min

  What if the corruption of great companies isn’t an ethics problem at all — but a design problem?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Eric Ries — creator of the Lean Startup methodology, and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way. His new book, Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great, argues that corporate corruption is not primarily ethical — it is structural — and offers a practical blueprint for organizations that can grow, prosper, and endure without losing their soul.  Eric revisits the Lean Startup methodology fifteen years after its publication — what’s changed, what’s been distorted, and how he thinks about the MVP, the pivot, and the build-measure-learn loop today.  Tune in to episode 247 to hear Eric’s rocket-booster moment, his mentorship moment for the chief product officer trying to adopt Lean Startup at scale, and his closing reflection on equanimity as one of the most underrated attributes of the entrepreneurial journey. AndrewTemte.com
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  Resilience Isn't Powering Through: Jay Abbasi on Adaptability 21.05.2026 32min

  What if everything you've been told about resilience is wrong?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy speaks with Jay Abbasi — CEO and founder of The Conscious Professional, former Tesla leader, and international keynote speaker who has coached leaders at Google, Amazon, and Wells Fargo. After his father’s sudden passing in 2014 woke him up to the costs of living on autopilot, Jay rebuilt his life around one question: how do leaders perform at a high level without burning out?  Andy and Jay unpack the Three Rs framework — recharge, reframe, reconnect — the myth that resilience means powering through, why the most burnt-out leaders are the ones who built their entire identity on a single pillar, and the research connecting negative thinking to physical illness. It’s a conversation about adaptability, multi-dimensionalism, and what changes when leaders stop being self-absorbed long enough to actually engage with their work.  Tune in episode 246 to hear Jay's story and learn how to recharge before you hit zero.  AndrewTemte.com
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  Why Your Team Is Burned Out (and It’s Not the Workload) with Dr. Liane Davey 14.05.2026 37min

  Thoughtload — not workload — is what’s breaking your team. In this conversation, Dr. Liane Davey explains why, and what leaders can actually do about it. Dr. Liane Davey is an organizational psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and co-founder of 3COze Inc., where she advises executive teams at companies like Amazon, Walmart, TD Bank, and Sony PlayStation. Known as the Teamwork Doctor, she has spent 25 years helping cross-functional teams — from Boston to Bangkok — move from dysfunction to high performance. She’s a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review and the author of The Good Fight, You First, and Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work (Page Two Books, May 2026). Liane’s rocket-booster moment came twice: once when she failed first-year calculus and stumbled into organizational psychology, and again when she made the deliberate decision — six years into her first firm — to “repot” herself at a smaller, more strategy-focused practice. That repotting set the trajectory for everything that followed. Whether you’re a senior leader watching your team burn out, a manager trying to make sense of context-switching chaos, or a knowledge worker who can feel the weight of 20 mental tabs open at once, this episode offers a new vocabulary for what’s actually wrong — and a practical path toward lighter, more focused work. AndrewTemte.com
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  How the Brain Learns at Work, with Dr. Tessa Forshaw 07.05.2026 36min

  What does cognitive science actually tell us about how adults learn at work — and why are most corporate learning programs still built on myths?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Dr. Tessa Forshaw — cognitive scientist, co-founder of the Next Level Lab at Harvard University, and co-author of Innovation-ish: How Anyone Can Create Breakthrough Solutions to Real Problems in the Real World (Wiley, 2025).  Tessa and Andy explore why learning takes effort (and why frictionless tools often don’t teach), what “innovation hesitation” is and how leaders can disarm it, why the apprenticeship model still matters, and what’s coming out of Harvard’s new Workforce Learning and Innovation Initiative.  Tune in to episode 244 to hear Tessa’s story and learn how to design learning that actually changes the brain — and how to lower the bar to innovation so your team can actually take the first step.  Dr. Forshaw is offering a discount for our listeners to Harvard Graduate School of Education's The Future of Workforce Learning and Innovation Certificate Program. Here's the discount code: BAP5 (5% off). The link is here: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/unbound/future-workplace-learning1600 AndrewTemte.com
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  Leading Through Change with Dave Garrison 30.04.2026 32min

  What if the biggest untapped resource in your organization is the energy your team members are holding back?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy speaks with Dave Garrison—CEO and co-founder of Garrison Growth, Harvard MBA, former CEO of NETCOM On-Line Communication Services (one of the first public internet companies), and author of The Buy-In Advantage: Why Employees Stop Caring and How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Give Their All.  Dave draws on 25 years of CEO and board experience—spanning the broadcast, wireless, and internet industries—to explain why traditional engagement metrics miss the mark and what leaders can do instead. The conversation explores the critical difference between compliance and genuine buy-in, practical tools for cascading strategic objectives through every level of an organization, and hard-won lessons from leading companies through hypergrowth. Tune in episode 243 to hear Dave’s story and learn why creating a culture of buy-in doesn’t cost a dime—it just requires leaders willing to invite people in rather than tell them what to do.  AndrewTemte.com
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  Work-Based Learning: Bridging Education and Industry with Stephanie Reisner 23.04.2026 38min

  What if the answer to the skills gap isn’t competing for talent—but developing it before graduation?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy Temte speaks with Stephanie Reisner—President and CEO of GPS Education Partners and co-author of Make School Work: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning.  Andy and Stephanie dig into the mindset shift from buying talent to developing it, the power of mentorship in work-based learning, GPS Ed’s partnership with 3M to scale manufacturing career pathways, and the four A’s framework—authentic learning that develops aspiration, ability, and agency. Stephanie also offers pointed advice for school superintendents and parents navigating workforce readiness with their teens.  Tune in to episode 242 to hear Stephanie’s story and learn how communities, employers, and educators can build career pathways that actually lead somewhere meaningful. 
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  De-Escalate Conflict in 90 Seconds | Doug Noll 16.04.2026 34min

  How do you calm an angry person in 90 seconds or less—without defending yourself, explaining, or arguing back?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy Temte speaks with Doug Noll—a trial lawyer turned peacemaker, award-winning mediator, and author of De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less. Doug is also the co-founder of the Prison of Peace project, where he trained maximum security inmates to reduce violence using empathy skills, and he teaches decision making under uncertainty and conflict at Pepperdine’s Straus Institute.  Doug shares the neuroscience behind affect labeling—the simple practice of naming someone’s emotions to quiet the brain’s threat response—and reveals how two words (“you feel”) can transform relationships, resolve team conflict, and build trust.  From the story of a prison inmate who reconnected with her son after 18 years to a CEO who turned a toxic culture around in six months, this conversation makes the case that empathy isn’t a soft skill—it’s the hardest and most important leadership skill there is.  Tune in to episode 241 hear Doug’s story and learn what it really means to listen someone into existence.  AndrewTemte.com
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  I Bottled My Mother: Building Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day | Monica Nassif 09.04.2026 26min

  What happens when a nurse-turned-speechwriter has a eureka moment in a big-box store and decides to reinvent the way America cleans? In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy Temte talks with Monica Nassif—the founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea—about building brands rooted in authenticity, disrupting a $30 billion market, and knowing when to let go of the business you built from nothing. Monica Nassif is a serial entrepreneur, brand builder, consultant, and author based in Minneapolis. She founded Caldrea in 2000 and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day in 2002, scaling the brands into more than 20,000 stores nationwide before selling to SC Johnson in 2008. Her career began at Target Corporation (then Dayton Hudson) as an executive speechwriter, and she went on to found the marketing communications agency Kilter Inc. Monica has been inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame and named University of Minnesota Entrepreneur of the Year and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Midwest Division). Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, and Real Simple. She also appeared on NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz. Her new book, I Bottled My Mother: The Mrs. Meyer’s Story: Grit, Grime & Growing a Business (IdeaPress Publishing, March 2026), is her third book. Monica’s rocket-booster moment came at 28—the oldest intern in Target’s history—when her English advisor slid an internship application across the table and changed the trajectory of her career. That experience ignited a love for retail and consumer products that eventually led her to walk a big-box store in Atlanta, look at a pallet of garish cleaning products, and ask, “What if that was awesome?” Guest: Monica NassifWebsite: monicanassif.comBook: I Bottled My Mother: The Mrs. Meyer’s Story: Grit, Grime & Growing a Business (IdeaPress Publishing, March 2026)LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/monica-nassif-686876335 Host: Andy TemteWebsite: andrewtemte.comAvailable on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and all major streaming platforms.
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  How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders | Kate Lowry 02.04.2026 22min

  Fear-based leaders are forming networks—and they’re not hiding anymore. In this return episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy Temte sits down with CEO coach and author Kate Lowry to unpack practical tools for navigating toxic leadership without losing yourself in the process. Kate Lowry is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author based in Silicon Valley. She developed her expertise on fear-based leadership growing up in a hierarchical family, then refined her approach across startups, private equity, management consulting, and big tech—including roles at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight Partners. She is the founder of Scaleheart Co. and the author of Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders (October 2025). Kate first appeared on the Balancing Act in Episode 213. In this conversation, Kate describes the cultural whiplash she’s witnessed over the past three years—a dramatic swing from emotionally intelligent, employee-centered leadership to an environment where fear, dominance, and cruelty are openly celebrated. She shares how she recognized that her coaching clients—accomplished leaders from top institutions—were paralyzed by this shift, and realized she had a survival toolkit they desperately needed. Guest: Kate Lowry Website: katelowry.com Coaching: scaleheart.co Book: Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katherinejlowry Instagram: @kaitunbreakablelaury Host: Andy Temte Website: andrewtemte.com
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  Mental Health at Work: Skills for Leaders and Teams | Melissa Doman 26.03.2026 33min

  Why do leadership titles make it harder — not easier — to talk about mental health at work?  In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy Temte speaks with Melissa Doman, MA — organizational psychologist, former mental health therapist, and author of Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work and her new book, Cornered Office: Why We Need to Talk About Leadership Mental Health. Melissa shares why awareness alone isn’t enough — people need conversational literacy to discuss mental health in the workplace.  From coaching hyperventilating leaders behind closed doors to watching entire organizations transform their conversations over 18 months, Melissa makes the case that mental health is a core strategic business priority, not an optional wellness add-on.  Tune in to episode 238 hear Melissa’s practical framework for starting these conversations — and why the quiet part needs to be said out loud. 
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  Career Growth Through Mentorship and an Open Mind | Bolaji James 19.03.2026 23min

  How does a 16-year-old immigrant from Nigeria end up leading global trade marketing at Bose Corporation? In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, host Andy Temte speaks with Bolaji James — Head of Global Trade Marketing & Retail Operations at Bose and a proud member of the very first cohort of the Kaplan Leadership Program. Bolaji shares the story of how a persistent transfer advisor and a challenge from his then-girlfriend (now wife) led him to write the essay that changed his life — and how the Kaplan Educational Foundation didn’t just offer a scholarship, but molded him into the leader he is today. From his emotional arrival at Morehouse College to the career lessons he carries into senior management at Bose, this conversation is a masterclass in the power of mentorship, an open mind, and asking for help. Tune in to hear Bolaji’s story and learn why the best career advice often comes from simply asking one question: “What do you wish you knew?”
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  Leveraging AI to Enhance Human Connection | Allison Shapira 12.03.2026 28min

  What does authentic leadership communication look like in the age of AI? In this episode of the Balancing Act podcast, Andy speaks with Allison Shapira—opera singer turned keynote speaker, Harvard Kennedy School lecturer, and bestselling author of Speak with Impact and AI for the Authentic Leader.  Allison shares her career rocket-booster moment—quitting a prestigious consulting job on day three to launch her own business—and reveals why the leaders who communicate most effectively are the ones who listen first. The conversation covers the fear of public speaking, the trust gap created by AI over-reliance, the hidden cost of corporate jargon, and why folk music taught her more about authentic leadership than opera ever did. Tune in to hear Allison’s story and learn how to lead with your voice—authentically.