The Needs Improvement Podcast

Human Centered Workplaces | Bonnie Davis, Founder @ Huwork

Join host Nicholas Whitaker and Bonnie Davis, Founder & Keynote Speaker at Huwork, as she discusses the rising importance of Strengths-Based Organizations.
Bonnie helps her clients create human-centered workplaces through action-oriented workshops, consulting projects, and leadership coaching. She advocates for using assessments like the Human Factor™ Assessment and StandOut to help people have more meaningful conversations about performance and results, while enhancing impact, fulfillment, and collaboration.
Bonnie’s work revitalizes culture, develops leaders, engages employees, and enables teams to work better together. 
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Compassion & Accountability -Two Sides of the Same Coin | Dr. Nate Rigier, CEO @ Next Element

Join host Nicholas Whitaker and Nate Regier, PhD, Founder & CEO of Next Element Consulting, as he discusses the nuances of Compassionate Accountability® in the workplace.
 
Together we explore the notion of compassion and accountability being two sides of the same coin, rather than competing energies. Dr. Nate gives us the ORPO formula to reconcile relationships and results while tackling tough conversations in an ever-changing post-covid corporate landscape.  
 
Check out his book, "Compassionate Accountability: How Leaders Build Connection and Get Results." and The Compassionate Accountability podcast with Dr. Nate. His mission is to operationalize compassion in every workplace. 
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Rediscovering Awe & Artistic Beauty in the Workplace | Emma Laurence, CLC

Chat with Emma Laurence, Certified Life Coach, creative artist, and author, as we dive into the challenges and opportunities that come with major life transitions.
Emma’s powerful life transition story highlights the impact of an overachieving work culture on physical and mental health. She offers a creative perspective on workplace challenges, including practical keys from her illustrated Beyond Burnout Playbook.
Emma illuminates the role of creativity in helping corporate leaders and managers raise team performance to a level of artistry. And together, we explore the vibrational impact of music to help navigate life transitions with greater ease.
 
Brief Bio
Emma Laurence is a Certified Life Coach (CLC), author of the Beyond Burnout Playbook, and lead singer for JazzLove. She brings creative arts into life transition coaching, workplace leadership and health, and burnout recovery.
Emma’s professional background in performing arts and education in New York City anchors her approach, integrating artistic vision, proven coaching tools, and compassionate presence. Her Living As Music blog is cutting-edge, connecting the art and science of sound to navigating daily life.
As a founding member of the Changing Work Collective, Emma currently co-leads the Creative Arts Cohort on a mission to bring creativity to business leadership.
 
Links
Lifeiscoachingyou.com
Livingasmusic.com
BeyondBurnoutPlaybook.com
Milky Way Symphony
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
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----------------------------------------------
Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Cancer Patient to IRONMAN Finisher - Resilience in a Health Crisis | Daniel Hight - Founder, More Than Our Story

Chat with Daniel Hight, Founder of MoreThanOurStory.com and a Toronto-area husband, father, cancer survivor, and IRONMAN Finisher as we dive into the impact of physical health on mental wellbeing. 
Daniel shares his incredible journey of suffering a seizure while on a business call, his emergency open cranium surgery, and the subsequent brain cancer diagnosis that changed his life.   
We discuss the power of sharing stories and finding strength and resilience in the face of adversity through personal grit and community. He encourages others to embrace their journeys and to find hidden gifts within their experiences.
 
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
----------------------------------------------
Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Becoming A ”Compassionate Agitator” | Jeff Jacobs, Sr. Director of Organizational Effectiveness @ Adobe

Listen in with Host Nicholas Whitaker and his guest Jeff Jacobs, Sr. Director of Organizational Effectiveness at Adobe and Mental Health Advocate, as he discusses navigating mental health challenges in the workplace.
 
We tackle the idea of being a "compassionate agitator" and challenging individuals and teams to evolve with safety and kindness. Jeff also shares some details of his mental health journey, suggesting insights for leadership behavior-modeling, and ways individuals can pursue self-care while protecting their professional brands.
 
His upcoming book, 'Still Coming of Age: Making the Most of Life's Lessons and Milestones,' is a collection of stories and life lessons encouraging us to embrace and learn from our challenges in service to living more authentic and successful lives. 
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
----------------------------------------------
Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Career Transitions & Work/Self Alignment | Jennifer Spainhour - Founder & Executive Coach

Chat with Jennifer Spainhour, Executive Coach and Founder of Position for Success Coaching, as she discusses the challenges and opportunities of career transitions. 
We tackle the importance of aligning work with personal values and strengths, and the need for courage to make a change. Jen also shares her approach of helping clients create a roadmap for their career transition, using techniques such as dream storming and identifying dig sites.
 
Check out Jen's podcast, "Spark Your Power" 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Vicarious Trauma through Exposure | Hannah Storm - Journalist, Author, and Founder

Chat with Hannah Storm, media consultant and founder of Headlines Network as she opens up about normalizing mental health conversations in journalism.
Drawing from her personal experiences with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, Hannah stresses the necessity of safe spaces for discussing mental health and delves into topics like vicarious trauma, empathetic leadership, and generational differences in mental health awareness.
Throughout our conversation, we explore the impact of Headlines Network in fostering these crucial discussions within newsrooms. Hannah advocates for increased investment in mental health, underlining the significance of self-care and recovery after challenging conversations.
 
Duathalon Fundraiser
Get on the Pre-Order List for Hannah's book, "Mental Health and Wellbeing for Journalist: A Practical Guide" 
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Redefining Success with Anya Smith | Founder, RightOffTrack

Chat with Founder & Host, Anya Smith, as she challenges the conventional definition of success and encourages you to follow your own purpose and values.
 
Listen in as we explore the benefits (and difficulties) of mindfulness, how to embrace rejection, and some of the difficulties that working mothers in tech face.
 
Anya's work focuses on amplifying voices and helping individuals build their strategies for exposure and success. She is also a super connector who wants to highlight the accessibility and willingness of people to support and collaborate when they are given the opportunity. 
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Mental Health Support Gaps in the Workplace | Ennis Olson, Global Innovation Lead @ Google

Chat with Ennis Olson, Global Innovation Lead at Google and fierce advocate for better mental health support in the workplace. 
Ennis discusses the need for leaders to receive training and tools to create a supportive environment and highlights the importance of accessibility to mental health services and the assessment process for diagnosis. 
We contemplate the long-term effects of masking behaviors at work, the lack of current support within many teams, and how to be more neuro-inclusive as a leader. 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Authenticity and Secure Leadership with Sarah Devereaux | Founder & Leadership Coach

Chat with Sarah Devereaux, Leadership coach, strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and workshop facilitator specializing in compassion, self-awareness, systems thinking, and trust for senior executives and emerging leaders.
Sarah is a leadership coach, strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and workshop facilitator. She runs her own practice, Third Coast Coaching, and is part of White Pine Leadership Collective, a boutique leadership consultancy focusing on helping women leaders build rich, fulfilling lives.
Sarah has been coaching and facilitating for more than a decade on a variety of leadership topics, including: resilience, wellbeing, innovation, self-awareness, trust, complexity theory, systems thinking, and more. She is particularly passionate about developing senior women leaders in traditionally male-dominated industries, like tech, finance, and manufacturing.
The type of coaching Sarah practices is known as ontological coaching, which takes a holistic approach to self development and actualization by examining the entire human being — mind, body, and heart.
This approach uses curiosity and compassion to identify and break unproductive patterns that may be limiting leadership progress. She is committed to helping leaders move past their own insecurities and self doubt, and realize all the possibilities available to them. 
Prior to building her practice, Sarah spent 14 years in Learning and Leadership Development at Google, most recently as the Head of Executive Development Programs for the Google School for Leaders. After leaving Google, she spent 2.5 years at a SaaS startup, leading Marketing and Business Strategy for a team collaboration and decision making platform. 
Sarah lives in Michigan on a rural property that she’s rehabilitating with her husband and two daughters, with the goal of one day becoming a sustainable farm.
Listen in as she reflects on her time at Google, the importance of secure leadership and psychological safety at work, and her philosophy on the future of leadership.
From an entry-level job to the Head of Executive Development, Sarah has embraced being a lifelong learner and how mindset agility is the biggest asset available.
We contemplate the nature of global changes at work, expectations on leadership, and what the future might look like for executive communication. 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.
 

Reinventing your career and business with Tijana Buric, Founder + CEO, Career Alchemist© | Human Design at Work

Ever wondered what makes you unique and how to find your factor of differentiation in today’s competitive market? You’re in the right place, because you are going to discover the power of Human Design, also known as a science of differentiation.
Listen as we chat with Tijana Buric, CEO + Founder of Career Alchemist©.
Tijana is a CPA turned Human Design Strategist helping conscious leaders design their career, business and team by unlocking individual’s genetic potential. 
Find out what Human Design is, and how it can be used to create a natural alignment between your natural gifts and skills, and yourself at work.
Hear how Tijana uses Human Design as a tool to bring all the puzzle pieces together and connect your career or business with your deeper purpose.
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.

Moral injury in the workplace with Dean Yates | Author, ”Line in the Sand” | PTSD & Moral Injury

Chat with author and war-time journalist, Dean Yates, as he dives into some excerpts from his new book, "Line in the Sand."
 
Hear about the unique mental health challenges he faced after leading teams through the war in Iraq, the Bali Bombings, and the Boxing Day Tsunami, as well as his journey through the trenches of PTSD. Dean also introduces the concept of "moral injury" and talks about how you can overcome anything through a dedication to mental health and wellness. 
 
Let's dive into what "Needs Improvement" 
Sign up for the Needs Improvement Newsletter
 
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Hello and welcome to the Needs Improvement Podcast, your regular deep dive into reimagining mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. I'm your host, Nicholas Whitaker, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of the Changing Work Collective. 
 
In every episode, we sit down with thought leaders in organizational health, as well as individuals who've navigated the complexities of mental health, well-being and belonging in the workplace. 
 
Our goal? To dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and ignite meaningful dialogue. We aim to inspire employees, and leaders, to revolutionize the way performance is gauged in the workspace.