Deep Work Out Loud

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  Meet Yourself Now or Be Replicable: Identity, Inner Images, and Animal Symbols with Helena Neubert 11.08.2026 31min

  What if the clearest way to understand yourself wasn't a personality test, but a painting? In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, Julie Harris Oliver welcomes Helena Neubert, a Silicon Valley-based life guide and artist from Germany who uses visualization, coaching, and symbolic imagery to help entrepreneurs and leaders explore identity. Helena's background is in large-scale painting and corporate visualization, where she made business patterns and product stories visible through information-dense symbols long before she brought that same skill into coaching individuals. Helena walks Julie through The Original, her four-week one-to-one process that integrates values, mission, personality frameworks, meditation, and guided inner journeys to surface a client's personal symbols, culminating in a bespoke painting of that person's essence. They talk about synesthesia and how metaphor and inner images build what Helena calls a landscape of meaning, one that supports clarity and decision-making in a way words alone often can't. Helena also leads Julie through a live conflict exercise using animal symbols, beaver and muskrat, and shares her own animal symbol along the way. The conversation lands on why self-knowledge matters more, not less, in the age of AI: it's grounded, personal, and far harder to replicate than anything generated for you. In This Episode: Helena's path from large-scale painting and corporate visualization into coaching The Original, her four-week process for surfacing personal symbols through values, mission, and guided inner journeys How a bespoke painting becomes a mirror for a client's essence Synesthesia, metaphor, and building a "landscape of meaning" A live animal symbol exercise using beaver and muskrat to explore conflict Why self-knowledge is harder to manipulate or replicate, especially in the age of AI ⏰ Chapters 00:00 Welcome And Setup 00:32 Meet Helena Neubert 02:24 From Art To Visualization 03:20 Visualizing Business Stories 03:58 The Original Process 05:16 Coaching Through Metaphor 06:14 Values And Animal Symbols 08:16 Synesthesia And Inner Images 09:54 Inner Gallery Of Self 13:02 Guided Journeying Origins 15:51 Quick Animal Conflict Exercise 17:57 Muskrat Meets Beaver 19:12 Traits and Tensions 20:44 Image Reveal Surprise 22:21 Territory and Social Structure 23:32 Animal Symbols in Conflict 25:40 Guessing the Hummingbird 29:01 Finding Helena and Wrap-Up 29:49 Privacy and Final Takeaway 30:53 Podcast Outro Challenge 👤 About Helena Neubert Helena Neubert is a Silicon Valley-based life guide and artist from Germany who helps entrepreneurs and leaders explore identity through visualization, coaching, and symbolic imagery. Her background spans large-scale painting and corporate visualization, and she now guides clients through The Original, a bespoke process culminating in a painting of their personal essence. 🌐 Website: https://www.helenaverse.co 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@helenaverse 📰 Newsletter: https://3sipsoftea.substack.com/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-neubert/ 👤 About Julie Harris Oliver Julie Harris Oliver is an Executive Coach, Leadership Development Professional, and host of the Deep Work Out Loud podcast. Through thought-provoking conversations with coaches, leaders, and subject matter experts, Julie helps professionals develop greater self-awareness, strengthen leadership skills, navigate career transitions, and create meaningful personal and professional growth. Each episode explores practical insights you can apply to your work, relationships, leadership, and everyday life. 🌐 Website: https://julieharrisoliver.com ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🔔 Subscribe for More Leadership & Coaching Insights If you enjoy conversations about leadership, executive coaching, emotional intelligence, mindset, workplace culture, and personal growth, make sure to Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode of Deep Work Out Loud. 📌 Subscribe & Stay Updated: → https://www.youtube.com/@DWOLJulieHarrisOliver?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Connect with Julie Harris: Website: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/ Instagram: → https://www.instagram.com/julieharrisoliver/ LinkedIn: → https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-harris-oliver Book a FREE Call: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/coaching-appointment #DeepWorkOutLoud #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #SelfAwareness #Identity #Visualization    
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  The Power of the Pause: Responding Instead of Reacting in Leadership with Susan Lanphier 28.07.2026 26min

  Have you ever reacted to feedback before you even knew what you were reacting to? In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, Julie Harris Oliver welcomes coach Susan Lanphier to explore the power of the pause, a deceptively simple leadership and communication skill that creates real choice in emotionally charged moments. Drawing on her decades in tech and coaching leaders through change, Susan explains how a pause is what shifts us from reacting to responding, and how curiosity and empathy do the heavy lifting from there, especially in feedback conversations where defensiveness and anger are so often just fear wearing a different face. Julie and Susan get into how leaders set the emotional temperature for everyone around them, why normalizing emotion at work still requires real boundaries and psychological safety to hold it, and what repair actually looks like when it's built on accountability for impact rather than good intentions, backed by self-compassion instead of self-punishment. They also talk about how judgment quietly blocks curiosity before it even has a chance, and why making time to pause, for strategic thinking and for your own priorities, takes boundaries and ongoing recommitment rather than a one-time decision. In This Episode: Why a pause is what creates the choice between reacting and responding Using curiosity and empathy to stay grounded in feedback conversations How leaders set the emotional temperature for their teams Normalizing emotion at work without losing boundaries or psychological safety Repair through accountability for impact, not just intent Self-compassion as the foundation that makes repair possible How judgment shuts down curiosity before it starts Making time to pause through boundaries and recommitment ⏰ Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Format 00:35 Meet Susan Lanphier 01:31 Power of the Pause 03:41 Feedback Without Reacting 06:04 Leaders Set the Tone 08:15 Coaching and Practice 10:46 Emotions and Boundaries 15:08 Repair and Accountability 17:59 Assumptions Block Curiosity 20:24 Making Time to Pause 23:41 Connection and Next Steps 24:27 Find Susan and Closing 👤 About Susan Lanphier Susan Lanphier is a coach with decades of experience in tech and in coaching leaders through change. Her work centers on helping leaders build the emotional skills, like pausing before reacting, that create genuine connection and psychological safety on their teams. She offers an "Align and Accelerate" coaching call for leaders ready to put these practices into action. 🌐 Website: https://susanlcoaching.com 👤 About Julie Harris Oliver Julie Harris Oliver is an Executive Coach, Leadership Development Professional, and host of the Deep Work Out Loud podcast. Through thought-provoking conversations with coaches, leaders, and subject matter experts, Julie helps professionals develop greater self-awareness, strengthen leadership skills, navigate career transitions, and create meaningful personal and professional growth. Each episode explores practical insights you can apply to your work, relationships, leadership, and everyday life. 🌐 Website: https://julieharrisoliver.com ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🔔 Subscribe for More Leadership & Coaching Insights If you enjoy conversations about leadership, executive coaching, emotional intelligence, mindset, workplace culture, and personal growth, make sure to Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode of Deep Work Out Loud. 📌 Subscribe & Stay Updated: → https://www.youtube.com/@DWOLJulieHarrisOliver?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Connect with Julie Harris: Website: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/ Instagram: → https://www.instagram.com/julieharrisoliver/ LinkedIn: → https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-harris-oliver Book a FREE Call: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/coaching-appointment #DeepWorkOutLoud #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #EmotionalIntelligence #PsychologicalSafety #FeedbackCulture
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  Redefining Leadership Value: Beyond the Checklist with Jennifer Tankersley 21.07.2026 39min

  Have you ever ended a full, packed day of leadership and still felt like you didn't actually get anything done? In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, Julie Harris Oliver welcomes executive coach Jennifer Tankersley to unpack why senior leaders so often feel like they're "not doing enough," even when they're busy from the first meeting to the last. Jennifer traces her own path from data-focused management consulting into coaching, driven by a growing fascination with the human side of leadership that no spreadsheet could capture. Julie and Jennifer dig into a real client case where a leader felt like "nothing got done" in a day that was, in fact, full of high-impact conversations, just none of them checkable off a list. From there, Jennifer lays out her value equation, a framework for what leadership value actually includes: tangible work, enabling other people's work, information flow and learning, reflection and sense-making, and self-leadership, meaning spaciousness, regulation, and intentional presence. They talk about how to make that invisible leadership work visible, how role chartering and managing up can align expectations, and how to tell the difference between real external urgency and the reactive urgency that comes from a nervous system stuck in threat response. Clarity, safety, recovery, and the willingness to pause come up again and again as the real practices underneath good leadership. In This Episode: Jennifer's path from data-driven consulting into executive coaching Why a full day of leadership can still feel like "nothing got done" The value equation: tangible work, enabling others, information flow, reflection, and self-leadership How to make invisible leadership work visible to the people around you Role chartering and managing up as tools for alignment The difference between real urgency and reactive urgency rooted in threat response Why clarity, safety, recovery, and pausing are core leadership practices, not soft extras ⏰ Chapters 00:00 Jennifer Tankersley 04:17 Jennifer's Path to Coaching 08:46 The Value Equation Framework 12:57 Making the Invisible Visible 17:56 Safety, Groundedness & Reactive Patterns 25:31 Urgency: Real vs. Reactive 31:22 Recovery & Restoration for Leaders 👤 About Jennifer Tankersley Jennifer Tankersley is an executive coach who moved into coaching after a career in data-focused management consulting, drawn by a deep interest in the human side of leadership. She writes and speaks about redefining what leadership value actually looks like beyond output and checklists. Read more in her article, "You Don't Have a Time Problem, You Have a Value Problem," at thetankersleygroup.com. 🌐 Website: https://thetankersleygroup.com 👤 About Julie Harris Oliver Julie Harris Oliver is an Executive Coach, Leadership Development Professional, and host of the Deep Work Out Loud podcast. Through thought-provoking conversations with coaches, leaders, and subject matter experts, Julie helps professionals develop greater self-awareness, strengthen leadership skills, navigate career transitions, and create meaningful personal and professional growth. Each episode explores practical insights you can apply to your work, relationships, leadership, and everyday life. 🌐 Website: https://julieharrisoliver.com ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🔔 Subscribe for More Leadership & Coaching Insights If you enjoy conversations about leadership, executive coaching, emotional intelligence, mindset, workplace culture, and personal growth, make sure to Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode of Deep Work Out Loud. 📌 Subscribe & Stay Updated: → https://www.youtube.com/@DWOLJulieHarrisOliver?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Connect with Julie Harris: • Website: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/ • Instagram: → https://www.instagram.com/julieharrisoliver/ • LinkedIn: → https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-harris-oliver • Book a FREE Call: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/coaching-appointment #DeepWorkOutLoud #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #SelfAwareness #InvisibleWork #LeadershipValue  
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  Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable: Aiko Bethea on Transcending the Bullsh*t and Living Your Real Values 14.07.2026 35min

  Have you ever named your core values on the spot, without missing a beat, or drawn a total blank? In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, Julie Harris Oliver welcomes executive coach and author Aiko Bethea to explore the gap between the values we say we hold and the ones we actually live by.   Aiko is the founder of Rare Coaching and Consulting, a senior leadership consultant for the Brene Brown Education and Research Group, and the author of the new book Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bullshit and Transforming Our Lives and Work. Forbes named her one of the top seven anti-racism educators for companies, and The Industry Leaders recently ranked her the number three executive coach in the world.   Aiko shares why she built her framework around naming behaviors instead of just naming values, why she calls the obstacles in the way of that work bullshit on purpose, grounded in the real bullshit asymmetry principle, and how she talks to her own kids about the parenting choices she'd make differently now. Whether you're a leader, a coach, a parent, or someone trying to figure out whose voice is actually running your life, this conversation offers a real framework for telling the difference. In This Episode: Why naming a value means nothing without naming the behavior behind it The bullshit asymmetry principle, and why Aiko chose that word on purpose Julie's own turning point: a birthday cake, a lunch break, and a career-changing decision How to talk to your kids (or your team) about the patterns you're trying to unlearn Building safety and trust by admitting what you don't know How we collude with systems that don't serve us The one question to ask anytime you feel obligated: "says who?" Why permission to rest can feel like a radical act Aiko's upcoming retreat in Costa Rica   ⏰ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Meet Aiko Bethea 02:00 What Led Her to Coaching 03:00 Inside Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable 04:00 From Naming Values to Naming Behaviors 07:00 The Privilege of Alignment and the Birthday Cake Story 09:00 The Bullshit Asymmetry Principle 12:00 The Derailers That Keep Us From Our Core Selves 15:00 Talking to Your Kids About Getting It Wrong 19:00 Psychological Safety and Not Having All the Answers 22:00 Systems, Collusion, and "Says Who?" 27:00 Slow Thinking and the Soccer Practice Problem 30:00 Withholding Permission and Rest 33:00 Permission to Rest as a Radical Act 34:00 Where to Find Aiko and Final Reflections   👤 About Aiko Bethea Aiko Bethea is the founder of Rare Coaching and Consulting, a leadership development firm helping leaders navigate today's workplace with more impactful approaches to leadership. She was recognized by Forbes as one of the top seven anti-racism educators for companies and named an influencer to follow by Culture Amp. She contributed to the New York Times bestselling anthology You Are Your Best Thing, and her writing has appeared in Forbes and Harvard Business Review. She is a senior leadership consultant for the Brene Brown Education and Research Group and a faculty member of the Hudson Institute of Coaching. Her book, Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable, is out now. 🌐 Website: https://rarecoaching.net 📷 Instagram: @Rare_Coach  📚 Book: https://bookshop.org/shop/deepworkoutloud   🌴Retreat: https://www.retreatwithrare.com/    👤 About Julie Harris Oliver Julie Harris Oliver is an Executive Coach, Leadership Development Professional, and host of the Deep Work Out Loud podcast. Through thought-provoking conversations with coaches, leaders, and subject matter experts, Julie helps professionals develop greater self-awareness, strengthen leadership skills, navigate career transitions, and create meaningful personal and professional growth.   Each episode explores practical insights you can apply to your work, relationships, leadership, and everyday life. 🌐 Website: https://julieharrisoliver.com   ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🔔 Subscribe for More Leadership & Coaching Insights If you enjoy conversations about leadership, executive coaching, emotional intelligence, mindset, workplace culture, and personal growth, make sure to Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode of Deep Work Out Loud.       🔗 Connect with Julie Harris: • Website: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/ • Instagram: → https://www.instagram.com/julieharrisoliver/ • LinkedIn: → https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-harris-oliver • Book a FREE Call: → https://www.julieharrisoliver.com/coaching-appointment   #LeadershipDevelopment #SelfAwareness #ExecutiveCoaching #PersonalGrowth #CoreValues #PsychologicalSafety
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  Dr. Matt Kodsi on "A Story Tale: ABCs of the Stories We Tell Ourselves" | Deep Work Out Loud 26.05.2026 24min

  Dr. Matt Kodsi on "A Story Tale: ABCs of the Stories We Tell Ourselves,"   Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes encore guest Dr. Matt Kodsi to discuss his book, "A Story Tale: ABCs of the Stories We Tell Ourselves," and his journey into writing. Kodsi explains how people fill gaps in knowledge by creating stories—often with a negative bias—and shares examples.  He describes the book's short, parable-style format (about 72 pages; 1 hour on Audible), its framing as a Zoom conversation between a corporate executive father and journalism-major daughter, and its ABC framework for examining stories and their impacts. Kodsi outlines a planned five-book series on presence, life strategies, organizational culture, and identity, notes the book's addition to the University of Georgia MHA curriculum, and shares where to buy it on Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and Audible.   00:00 Welcome and Format 00:31 Encore Guest Matt 01:22 Why Write a Book 02:22 Stories We Tell Ourselves 03:55 Real World Examples 07:11 Stories About Ourselves 08:13 Building the Book Plot 12:31 Series of Five Books 15:55 Catching Your Own Stories 19:38 Who Its For 22:28 Where to Get It 23:38 Closing Invitation    Buy the book   Find Dr. Matt Kodsi here   Julieharrisoliver.com  
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  The First Work of Leadership: Wellbeing as a Foundation for Leading in Complexity with Dr. Michael Hein | Deep Work Out Loud 19.05.2026 31min

  Julie Harris Oliver welcomes Dr. Michael Hein, author of "Shifting Toward Unorthodoxy," to discuss "the first work" of leadership: prioritizing wellbeing as foundational leadership work in volatile, complex environments, especially healthcare. Hein explains that leaders often forget they have a body, yet leadership performance depends on physical health, recovery, relationships, and spiritual meaning; without these, leaders struggle to stay composed, curious, and effective. He describes how socialized workplace norms push high performers to work harder rather than recover, and argues CEOs especially must model healthy boundaries because behavior sets organizational expectations more than words. Drawing parallels to athletic overtraining syndrome, he notes burnout reflects the same maladaptive effects of unrelenting stress without recovery. Hein recommends a regular recovery cadence—daily routines, monthly reflection time, and periodic longer breaks—planned on the calendar and approached as experiments. 00:00 Welcome to the Show 00:37 Meet Dr Michael Hein 01:41 From CEO to Coach 03:12 Defining First Work 04:39 Body as Leadership Platform 06:51 Why Self Care Fails 09:57 Leaders Set the Tone 14:30 Athlete Burnout Parallel 17:58 Cadence of Recovery 24:42 Start Small Experiments 28:34 Wellbeing Is Leadership Work 30:21 Wrap Up and Invitation    To find Dr. Hein   —MEDI Leadership's page:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/medileadership/ —Dr. Hein's page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heindoc/  
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  Listening to Your Inner Compass: Intuition, the Rational Mind, and the Protector with Louise Hansell | Deep Work Out Loud 12.05.2026 36min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes leadership coach Louise Hansell to discuss listening to and trusting your inner voice or "internal compass." Louise shares how she moved from corporate HR and transformation work into coaching, and explains that intuition is often subtle, felt through the body, and can be drowned out by societal, family, and logical "shoulds." They explore distinguishing intuition from the rational mind and a protective ego voice that reacts with fear and urgency, noting Louise's view that intuition appears in the first few seconds before other voices take over. Louise suggests building discernment through mindfulness, silence, and low-stakes experiments, using full-body cues like expansion, contraction, relief, tension, or persistence. They also address people-pleasing, clear no's, and tolerating uncertainty while doors gradually open. Louise closes with an Einstein quote about honoring intuition alongside reason. 00:00 Welcome to Deep Work 00:40 Meet Louise Hansel 02:18 Louise Coaching Origin 04:01 Theme Inner Compass 04:44 Hearing Versus Trusting 08:35 Body Based Yes No 09:29 Julie Pivot Story 13:32 Louise Three Voices 16:45 Naming Mind Protector 19:03 Ego and Body Listening 19:40 Mindfulness vs Thoughts 20:29 Silence and Inner Voice 23:02 Clean No Boundaries 25:15 Waiting for Doors 27:20 Trusting the Compass 28:48 Seattle Moving Example 31:26 First Three Seconds 32:42 Low Stakes Practice 34:41 Einstein Quote Wrap 35:30 Where to Find Louise 35:46 Final Invitation  Louisehansell.com  
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  I Am Who I Am, Not What I Do: Dion Elliott Jensen on Identity, Ego, and Love-Based Leadership 05.05.2026 27min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes Dion Elliott Jensen, author of "Conscious Footsteps," who describes becoming an "accidental author" by using writing and long walks to process intense life changes and consolidate his journals into a book structured as standalone "walks." They focus on Dion's central theme, "I am who I am, not what I do," shaped by being abruptly fired from a CEO role and realizing he had outsourced his worth to his job. Dion explores how "what do you do?" creates instant masks, bias, and power dynamics that block real human connection, and suggests asking disarming, deeper questions about who someone is. He reflects on hardship-driven ego death, and how he now leads with less outcome attachment, wider "guardrails," and greater softness, trust, and authenticity. 00:00 Welcome to Deep Work 00:39 Meet Dion Jensen 01:37 Why He Wrote 03:41 Core Theme Identity 06:05 Masks and Job Titles 12:28 Better Questions to Ask 15:46 Tell Me About You 18:50 From Ego to Love 20:55 I Am Poem Exercise 23:56 Leadership After Shift 26:05 Parting Advice and Links 27:13 Closing Invitation    Instagram: @dionelliottjensen Web: www.consciousfootsteps.com Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/Dion-Elliott-Jensen/author/B0G3WJP22G?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true  
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  Time Billionaires: Reclaiming 90-Second Gaps for Happiness, Focus, and Agency with Rebecca Shaddix 28.04.2026 34min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver interviews business leader and Time Billionaires podcast host Rebecca Shaddix on reclaiming 90-second to 15-minute gaps between meetings to reduce frantic context shifting and improve happiness, energy, and fulfillment. Shaddix describes how a COVID-era habit of replacing scrolling with tiny actions—like brief audiobook listening, pushups, breathing, or stepping outside—compounded into hundreds of books a year and a research-backed framework of six micro-moment categories (reflection/mindset, connection, movement, nature/sensory awareness, play/creativity, and gratitude/mindfulness). She emphasizes planning ahead via a weekly Friday reflection ("what went well, what didn't, what do I want more of") and focusing on a realistic "floor" rather than aspirational "ceiling" goals. They also discuss labeling meetings with a single intuitive word to clarify next steps and reduce lingering anxiety, and the broader theme of agency over time as a guardrail against resentment and burnout.   00:00 Welcome and Format 00:36 Meet Rebecca Shaddix 01:50 Time Billionaires Origin 03:35 Why Micro Gaps Matter 08:38 Nature Minutes Add Up 09:10 Plan Your Micro Moments 09:38 Six Micro Moment Categories 10:24 Tiny Creativity Reset 13:31 Balance Without Perfection 15:21 Micro Workouts Not Gyms 16:13 ADHD and Starting Small 18:35 Stop Self Blame 19:14 Floor Not Ceiling 20:13 Mindful Micro Moments 23:11 Gratitude Deep Dives 24:37 Mindfulness Anywhere 25:31 One Word Debriefs 31:06 Reclaim Time Agency 34:10 Closing And Invitation
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  Leading with Humanity in a Polarized, Fast-Changing World with Dr. Kim Stepanski 21.04.2026 27min

  Julie Harris Oliver welcomes Dr. Kim Stepanski, an executive coach and organizational psychologist, to explore what leadership feels like right now amid rapid change, AI disruption, geopolitical volatility, and polarization. They discuss how leaders face loneliness, pressure to have answers, and the challenge of guiding teams whose perspectives are shaped by narrowing information "echo chambers." Kim emphasizes building capacity to see beyond one's own lens, getting comfortable with not knowing, and using reflection, connection, and community to stay grounded and humane. Julie shares practices such as acknowledging heaviness, simple meeting check-ins (e.g., green/yellow/red), and creating space for people to share what they're carrying without leaders needing to fix it. Kim describes using small experiments, grounding tools, and peer groups—especially for senior women—to build vulnerability, perspective-taking, and support, and closes with ways to connect with her online.   00:00 Welcome to Deep Work 00:33 Meet Kim Stepanski 02:17 Why Kim Chose Coaching 04:16 Leading Right Now 06:56 Filters and Echo Chambers 09:30 Simple Human Check Ins 12:26 Coaching Tools and Experiments 15:07 Practicing the Uncomfortable 15:53 Building Leader Community 20:37 Systems and Human Centered Work 26:42 Staying Grounded and Closing  
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  Identity in Transition with Ben Basilan | Deep Work Out Loud 14.04.2026 35min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes transition and emerging leaders coach Ben Basilan, who shares how layoffs in his industry and his background in counseling and UX research led him to coaching. They explore identity as a root issue in major transitions such as becoming a manager or small business owner, experiencing layoffs, divorce, aging, and retirement, focusing on what feels fixed versus changeable and how "inner saboteurs" formed in childhood can stop serving us. Ben describes growing up as a Filipino immigrant kid navigating cultural and emotional silence, moving states, and realizing he was gay, then later finding greater openness through grad school and counseling training. They discuss authenticity at work as a spectrum tied to psychological safety and how integrating Ben's identities as coach and researcher improved his motivation and communication. They also address identity clashes with loved ones amid polarized beliefs and the role of coaching in healing.   00:00 Welcome to Deep Work 00:31 Meet Ben Basilan 01:19 Why Ben Chose Coaching 02:10 Identity as a Theme 02:53 Transitions Trigger Identity 06:01 What Can Change 07:15 Roots of Rationality 09:33 Move South and Isolation 12:48 Coming Out and Becoming Whole 14:51 Authenticity at Work 18:40 Merging Work Identities 23:26 Life Stages and Reinvention 28:43 When Identities Clash 32:53 Coaching as Healing Purpose 33:54 Where to Find Ben 34:26 Closing Invitation  
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  Living Your Authentic Self with Heather Pomerantz | Deep Work Out Loud 07.04.2026 37min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes executive coach and former CFO Heather Pomerantz to discuss living your authentic self through clarifying core values and purpose. Heather shares how her early love of listening and connection, a long achievement-driven finance career, and a Unilever purpose program led her to coaching when she realized she was in physical pain from misalignment. They outline steps: identify core values from a word list, narrow them, define what each means personally, translate them into "I am" statements, assess alignment, and decide what must shift to integrate joy now rather than waiting for "someday." They explore freedom as a sample value, signs of misalignment like anxiety and Sunday dread, authenticity in interviewing, and how leaders can improve results and retention by understanding employees' values and reshaping responsibilities.   00:00 Welcome to Deep Work 00:36 Meet Heather Pomerantz 02:23 Heather's Coaching Origin 03:32 Achievement to Purpose 06:20 CFO Misalignment Wakeup 08:17 Living Authentic Self 08:53 Find Your Core Values 11:36 Define Values and Freedom 13:47 Check Alignment and Shift 15:23 Why Wait Integrate 19:29 Lead Through Values 22:04 Strengths Versus Values 28:15 Values in Career Transitions 30:56 Somatic Signs of Alignment 34:19 Closing Takeaways and Links   Dr. Matt Kodsi's book: A Story Tale - ABC's of the stories we tell ourselves  
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  Disruption as Alignment: Coaching, Grief, and Non-Striving with Rishikesh Tirumalai 31.03.2026 38min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes leadership coach and experience designer Rishikesh Tirumalai to discuss how "disruption" can mean returning to harmony with natural cycles, the body, and authenticity. Rishi shares his path from tech and solo travel to teaching and coaching, including how getting sober and working with a coach changed his trajectory, and reflects on being a young Indian man in a coaching world that often undervalues asking for help. They explore leaders finding integrity and fun in their roles, the courage of slowing down amid urgency culture, and the relationship between authenticity and activism in a colonizing power. Rishi also speaks about grieving his father's death, discovering inner stability, seeking agenda-free connection, and holding a seasonal intention of non-striving while listening for when action is needed.   00:00 Welcome to Deep Work 01:17 Rishi's Coaching Journey 01:48 Panama and Leaving Tech 03:58 Discovering Coaching and Sobriety 05:16 Outlier in Coaching Culture 07:18 Disruption and Family Roots 09:09 Alignment With Natural Cycles 11:46 Authenticity as Activism 12:53 Leaders Finding Fun 14:47 Holding Possibility Through Grief 16:02 Dad's Passing and Adulting 21:20 Expansion Without Striving 24:12 Non Striving in a Harsh World 28:29 Slowing Down as Disruption 33:22 Support Without an Agenda 36:03 North Star Fun and Care 36:42 Closing and Call to Action  
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  Living Off Menu: Worthiness, Permission, and Small Experiments with Marie Smith | Deep Work Out Loud 24.03.2026 36min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes coach Marie Smith, founder of Golden Hour Coaching, who shares her path from teacher to personal trainer to life and health coach after hearing a clear spiritual prompting to become a life coach. Marie discusses the idea of "living off menu," inspired by Glennon Doyle's story about ordering beyond the menu, and connects it to agency, permission, and creating a life beyond inherited expectations. The conversation explores purpose as "being" rather than "doing," women's conditioning around worth tied to productivity, domestic labor and mental load, and learning to receive help. Marie offers practical steps to begin: journal desires, list the reasons you think you can't, challenge them as if advising a friend, choose one small experiment, and act. She shares where to find her and a Stress SOS guide via text.   00:00 Welcome to Deep Work 00:37 Meet Marie Smith 01:33 Her Coaching Origin Story 03:41 Hearing the Call 04:34 Living Off Menu 08:06 Permission and Agency 09:05 Purpose as Being 12:08 Worthy Just Because 16:15 Moms Dads and Bedtime 17:57 The Menu We Inherit 19:04 Double Standards Trap 20:04 My Life Is Mine 20:53 Quiet the Inner Critic 23:50 Small Off Menu Experiments 26:58 Learning to Receive Help 28:53 Asking for Help After Surgery 30:59 Journal Your Next Step 33:50 Find Marie and Wrap Up  
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  Humor at Work: Levity, Creativity, and the "Yes, And" Mindset with Connie Liu | Deep Work Out Loud 17.03.2026 35min

  Host Julie Harris Oliver welcomes executive coach and two-time founder Connie Liu (CEO of Tandem) to discuss humor's role in work, leadership, and coaching. Connie shares that her path to coaching began after hiring an executive coach during her transition out of her first company, valuing coaching as a place to be fully honest without "curating" for others. They explore humor as a release valve that extends emotional runway, reduces high-stakes pressure, and increases creativity—especially through improv's "yes, and" approach and design-thinking environments that normalize risk and riffing on bad ideas. Connie describes using standup comedy as a counterbalance to founder seriousness and as a way to practice levity, while both reflect on when humor is welcomed or risky at work, including for women and in highly serious roles. 00:00 Welcome and Format 00:35 Meet Connie Liu 01:09 Connie's Coaching Origin 02:31 Why Humor at Work 04:10 Standup as Counterbalance 06:09 Humor as Release Valve 07:15 Making Humor Feel Safe 09:07 Creativity and Yes And 13:40 Dog Interruption Reset 14:12 Lightening the Room Fast 16:03 Can You Teach Funny 16:23 Rule of Three Parenting 17:53 Sarcasm and Pranks Roots 18:36 Back to Executives 18:45 Personality on Calls 19:25 Creating vs Reporting 20:22 Finding the Right Balance 21:07 Sales Stories That Land 21:51 Standup Fear and Dares 22:49 Bombing and Getting Hooked 24:14 Comedy Style and Influences 24:57 Work Persona and Gender 28:41 Founder Seriousness vs Humor 30:18 Keeping Perspective at Work 31:37 Key Takeaways and Farewell  
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  Making Fewer, Better Decisions with Brian Duggan | Deep Work Out Loud 10.03.2026 57min

  Julie Harris Oliver interviews executive leadership coach and OD consultant Brian Duggan about helping senior leaders make fewer, better decisions. Brian shares his path from theater directing to coaching and introduces research citing that senior leaders make 70–80,000 decisions per year, with up to half being low-importance or low-impact. He outlines the "Five V Role Model" stances leaders can take—Vote, Voice, Vision, Void, and Veto. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just beginning your journey, this episode is packed with insights that can transform your approach to decision-making and organizational impact.   00:00 Welcome to Deep Work Out Loud + Meet Julie & Brian 01:42 Brian's Accidental Path from Theater Director to Coach 04:06 Why Theater Skills Translate to Coaching & OD Systems Thinking 05:51 The Leadership Problem: Senior Leaders Making Too Many Decisions 07:32 McKinsey Decision Overload + Two Common Stances: Vote & Voice 11:14 The Better Shift: Leading Through Vision (and Developing People) 15:23 Reputation, Intention, and How Leaders Choose to Show Up 16:33 The Counterintuitive Stance: Intentional 'Void' and Role Boundaries 21:47 Void Needs Vision: Context Over Details, Trust Over Rumors 25:19 Matching Stances to Level: Apple Store Stories on Autonomy & Escalation 29:32 When Execs 'Voice Down': The Cost of One Comment (The Color Story) 30:44 Fixing the Process: Getting the Right Voices at the Right Time 31:46 The Two Questions: What Only I Can Do vs. What I'm Supposed to Do 32:35 Personal Burnout Story: Over-Voicing, Over-Doing, and Resentment 37:29 Making It a Shared Language: Bringing Voice In Early (and Using It) 39:17 Gen Z, Disillusionment, and Clarifying Vote vs. Voice 41:31 How to Ask for Feedback: Criteria, Context, and Engagement Survey Traps 44:40 From Work to Life Roles: Introducing the 'Five Stances' Framework 45:32 Level, Zones, Lanes: The Targeting System Behind Your Role 48:09 The Fifth V—Veto: When to Overrule (and Why It's Dangerous) 51:12 A Real Veto Scenario: Hiring Freeze, Rescinded Offers, and Hard Calls 53:43 Wrap-Up: Positive Conflict at the Top + The 'Five V Role Model' 55:49 Closing & Listener Invitation: Clarify Your Roles and Communicate Vision  
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  Forest Therapy and Nervous System Regulation with Laura London | Deep Work out Loud 03.03.2026 38min

  In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, Julie Harris Oliver is joined by leadership strategist and executive coach Laura London (founder of Calocedrus Partners, former McKinsey leader) for a candid, coach-style exploration of forest therapy—and why Laura believes it's a practical tool for leadership right now. They unpack what "forest therapy" means, how sensory awareness connects to nervous system regulation, and why slowing down can be harder than it sounds. Julie brings real skepticism, including a vivid story of an experience in nature that left her feeling unsafe, and Laura helps examine the protective story that followed—and what it might be costing. Along the way, Laura shares how the practice became personal through her family's experience with sensory processing disorder (SPD), and Julie describes a small experiment she's trying to bring more quiet, presence, and reset into everyday life.   00:00 Welcome to Deep Work Out Loud + Meet Laura London 01:13 Laura's Journey: From Early Work Curiosity to McKinsey & Coaching 04:28 Today's Topic: What Is Forest Therapy (and Why It Matters Now) 05:53 The Science: Senses, Nervous System Regulation & the AI Age 08:42 Laura's Personal Story: Fragility, Authenticity, and Finding Relief in Nature 10:50 Sensory Processing Disorder & the 5-4-3-2-1 Nature Practice (with Her Son) 15:01 Forest Bathing vs. Forest Therapy: Guided Walks, Principles, and Slowing Down 18:24 Julie the Skeptic: "Nature Will Try to Kill You" + A Beach Injury Story 21:22 Coaching the Reframe: Protection vs. Limitation, Awe, and Belonging in Nature 27:50 Small Experiments: Dog Walks Without Headphones + Why Quiet Isn't Wasted Time 31:31 Leadership Takeaways: Regulated Leaders, Contagious Emotions, and Practical Tips 35:31 Where to Find Laura + Final Invitation to Try Nature This Week   Find Laura HERE Find Julie HERE
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  Heart Wounds in Leadership with Krista Johnson 24.02.2026 36min

  In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, Julie Harris Oliver is joined by Krista Johnson, an organizational psychology practitioner and executive coach. The discussion delves into the significance of heart wounds in leadership, explaining how unresolved emotional imprints from past experiences can impact present behavior. Krista outlines methods to identify and manage these heart wounds, emphasizing the importance of presence, emotional regulation, and reflective practice in leadership. They explore the challenges of navigating corporate environments while maintaining personal well-being and the transformative power of heart-centered leadership. The conversation underlines the critical need for developing personal agility and emotional competence in today's rapidly changing world.   00:00 Introduction to Deep Work Out Loud 00:33 Meet Krista Johnson: Organizational Psychology Practitioner 01:36 The Concept of Fierce Conversations 02:12 Krista's Journey to Coaching 03:36 Heart Wounds and Leadership 04:13 Understanding and Identifying Heart Wounds 06:14 Impact of Heart Wounds in Professional Settings 09:14 Healing and Managing Heart Wounds 12:11 The Importance of Presence and Emotional Regulation 25:52 Practical Techniques for Emotional Regulation 32:13 Conclusion and Final Thoughts   Find Krista here www.kristajohnsoncoaching.com   Find Julie here www.julieharrisoliver.com  
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  Cultivating Adult Friendships with Dr. Lauren Collier | Deep Work Out Loud 17.02.2026 30min

  In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, host Julie Harris Oliver sits down with Dr. Lauren Collier, a professional coach and founder of the Friendship Project. They discuss the challenges and strategies for forming meaningful adult friendships, particularly for women experiencing life transitions. Dr. Collier shares her journey from social work to coaching and introduces her initiative to create intentional friendship circles. Through an eight-week learning journey, she aims to facilitate deeper connections and combat social isolation. The discussion covers the importance of alignment, affinity, and shared experiences in building lasting relationships. The episode also touches on the impact of the pandemic on social skills and the importance of intentionality and openness in fostering friendships.   00:00 Introduction to Deep Work Out Loud 00:39 Meet Dr. Lauren Collier 01:09 Lauren's Journey to Coaching 02:15 The Importance of Adult Friendships 02:48 Challenges in Making New Friends 04:11 The Loneliness Epidemic 04:58 Key Elements for Building Friendships 05:40 Cultural and Political Barriers 06:48 Intentional Friendship Building 09:46 Lauren's Friendship Circles Initiative 14:01 The Impact of the Pandemic on Friendships 17:12 Practical Steps for Building Friendships 20:16 Challenges and Solutions in Friendship Building 28:21 Conclusion and Contact Information Find Lauren HERE Find Julie HERE
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  Finding Alignment in Your Career and Life with Ron Pratt 10.02.2026 37min

  In this episode of Deep Work Out Loud, host Julie Harris Oliver sits down with Ron Pratt, founder of the Altera Collective, to discuss the importance of alignment in our careers and lives. Ron shares his personal journey from a promising career in consulting and finance to founding his own coaching practice. They delve into the key elements of alignment—values, motivators, interests, and personality—and discuss how understanding these can lead to a more fulfilling and sustainable career. Ron also explains how leaders can use this framework to foster better relationships and environments for their teams. Tune in for insightful tips on diagnosing misalignment and practical advice for finding a career that truly fits.   00:00 Introduction to Deep Work Out Loud 00:35 Meet Ron Pratt: Career Journey and Insights 01:28 The Path to Coaching: Ron's Story 03:08 Exploring Career Misalignment 08:48 The Importance of Values in Career Choices 12:55 Frameworks for Career Alignment 18:59 Navigating Career Transitions in Challenging Times 19:59 Short-Term vs Long-Term Career Goals 20:58 Understanding Motivators 23:38 The Role of Interests in Career Satisfaction 25:19 Client Stories: Real-Life Applications 28:57 Framework for Career Alignment 33:07 The Importance of Alignment Beyond Career 35:54 Final Thoughts and Contact Information   Find Ron HERE Find Julie HERE