'Compassion' is a big word, so rather than defining what it means, Annie Storey shared with me what 'compassion' looks like in her path in this episode of Humans of Authenticity. 00:00 Welcome 00:56 Annie Storey and how we navigate change 06:56 Membership communication case study 12:32 Compassion and how we show up with compassion 16:30 Understanding 19:33 How to build compassion into workplace culture 19:33 How to cultivate a sense of autonomy 31:00 Compassionate for each other 34:00 What's next

This is a fun episode that contains two 'firsts' for me. Yingxi (Cimo) Chen is the first scientist on my channel. She is a cancer researcher and health equity advocate. She serves as a commissioner at the Montgomery County Commission on Health, working with underserved communities facing health vulnerabilities. She is a good friend, and I love our chit-chat every time, so I decided to invite her to this channel. This is also the first time I have delved deeper into the realm of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) on this platform. I am not a DEI practitioner, and I've been trying to expose myself to this practice over the last few years. As a learner, I believe that the positive experience that Cimo shares is the exact reason why we should promote and practice DEI much more. As a wise person* said to me once, 'It's not just diversity of demographics. It's the diversity of ideas that we need to embrace.' We discussed Cimo's experiences navigating different cultures and advocating for health equity. I admire her passion and dedication to bridging health disparities. I also appreciate her scientist's mind as she articulates different building blocks of 'respect.' I hope this episode gives you some excellent food for thought, as it did for me. 00:00 Welcome 00:50 Yingxi Cimo Chen 01:27 Passion and Career Choices 03:19 Advocacy for Health Equity 04:33 Achievements and Challenges in Health Advocacy 07:27 Our Voices as a Minority, People May Not Care 09:11 Understanding and Respecting Differences 10:59 Respect 13:46 Respecting Your Individuality 15:15 Respecting Differences in a Multicultural Society 19:14 Respecting Differences in Teamwork 24:43 The Power of Respect in Personal Experiences 25:58 The World Without Respect 29:39 Respect for Differences 34:08 Belief in Humanity and Kindness in People 39:16 Future Plans and the Role of Respect 42:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts * That is Justin Ponder from Uplifting Impact: https://www.upliftingimpact.com/about

As the first episode this year, I'm sharing a new perspective I would love to hear more often - whimsy. In this episode, I speak with psychologist and speaker Nabil El-Ghoroury on his whimsical approach to life and work. The conversation also reflects on the power of courage and a robust support network. Beyond personal narratives, Nabil shares valuable insights on the positive effects of being whimsical in a professional workspace. 00:00 Welcome 00:50 Nabil El-Ghoroury 02:23 Living with courage 06:42 Fear and risk-taking 08:20 The power of a support network in risk-taking 09:53 Diversity in decision making 10:29 Whimsical 12:05 Finding whimsy in professional life 14:25 Whimsical expression and childhood influence 19:35 The struggle of authenticity and whimsy 20:30 The catalyst for change 23:11 The power of authenticity in professional life 23:38 Nurturing whimsical ideas in a professional context 25:21 Balancing whimsy and professionalism 29:01 Impact of whimsy in leadership 32:56 Looking forward: goals and whimsy 36:46 Whimsy in grief 38:08 Final thoughts

As we approach the end of 2023, I am thrilled to share with you the 10th episode of Humans of Authenticity, featuring Maunda Land, MBA, CMP, CAE, as we explore the topic of 'Happiness'. Maunda Land is a well-known figure in our community, originally from Michigan, who is passionate about empowering people from underrepresented communities to achieve their goals. In this episode, we delve into Maunda's life journey, career, values, and her insights on happiness. We also got a sneak peek of her daughter's book 'I am Happy', which you can now purchase at https://www.hannahishappy.com/. During our conversation, we discuss the significance of setting ambitious goals, having a positive attitude, and believing in oneself to accomplish them. We also highlight the importance of embracing happiness at every stage of life and share a strategy to clear our minds of the distractions of everyday life so we can enjoy happiness every step of the way. I hope this episode brings you joy as we wrap up 2023. Thank you for your continued support and for following Humans of Authenticity. I look forward to sharing more episodes with you in 2024.

A first on Humans of Authenticity, I'm so honored to have a United States Marine Corps veteran Carlos Cardenas, CAE sharing his story with me on this episode. Born and raised in Chicago's Little Village, Carlos takes us through his cultural roots, sharing the impact of his upbringing in a vibrant immigrant community. From there, we delve into his transformative experience as a United States Marine during 9/11, exploring the discipline, challenges, and personal growth that shaped him.

In this episode of the Humans of Authenticity, I invited Janice Haskins, PhD, a DELP friend, to share her journey towards embracing her identity at different professional and personal points. From self-discovery to leadership experiences, Janice talks about her family's role in her walk toward becoming a more confident and genuine person, significantly inspired by her daughter. This podcast episode delves into meaningful conversations around building trust, setting personal and professional goals, and the importance of feedback for personal growth, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their leadership skills. Furthermore, Janice emphasizes the importance of prioritizing humanity over business in leadership roles, revealing her underlying mantra of viewing her team members as whole human beings.

In the 7th episode with my DELP friend, April Tone, we discussed how we approach failure and success to broaden our perspectives and prepare for what's ahead. Three things stood out to me in this episode, but I'll admit that I'm biased since I was a part of it. Firstly, I had never before had such an enjoyable conversation about the topic of failure. We spoke about how it can act as a catalyst for growth and how we can prepare ourselves for it, or whether it's even possible. Secondly, while I have a tendency to 'balance' things out, April is the first person who challenges me to ignore this balance. Mic drop moment! Lastly, April, who is a multi-award-winning professional communicator with an MBA and CAE, gave me her stamp of approval on my interviewing skills. Yes! You might have seen her latest achievement as she was inducted into the Association Forum's 2023 Forty Under 40 Recipients. That's enough from me. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did, and thank you for choosing my podcast.

The 6th episode of Humans of Authenticity is here. I can't believe I'm halfway through the first season of this production. Thank you so much for your support, subscription to this newsletter, and tuning into my channel. Which platform are you listening to this episode on today? Let me know in the comments. Joining us today is Shan Haugabrook, one of the DELP Scholars in my class this year. This is one of those short and sweet episodes that just hit the right spot for me. We looked at another layer of communication, in addition to insights from Danielle's comment on culture and Jourdie's on the intention of messages. This time, we look at the art of listening in communication. Are you listening to understand? Are you listening to respond? I have so much to work on this. The other thing I love about this episode - and I'm biased- is that Shan was very open to sharing both her strong will and fragile side. For this, I'm so grateful. Now it's your turn. Enjoy the conversation today, and thank you again for your support. It means the world to us.

In the 5th episode of Humans of Authenticity with Allegra Tasaki, we delved into how innovation is 'seen' in personal and professional life. At one point, we figured that as we went through our work and held firm to our core values, we would develop our own signature in the work. That signature will loudly say, 'This is you!' Have you ever experienced this before? I also learned a different way to look at challenges: there is always a solution for every challenge. And for the fans of America Ferrera's monologue in the recent successful Barbie (2023), of course, the comments on women's expectations and roles in society today would come up in an open-heart conversation like this. Are you ready?

Have you ever thought about how our choices shape our experiences and identities? In the fourth episode of 'Humans of Authenticity', I had a personal and insightful conversation with Monica Sampson about just that. Monica is a devoted mother and a self-proclaimed introverted, strong woman. She explained how her children redefined her outlook and reshaped her leadership style, with her daughter in particular liberating her authentic self. Our mother-daughter relationships really are special! Throughout our conversation, we discussed the thought process behind making choices and how they can impact our lives. We also shared some of the best and worst choices we've made. I'm grateful for how personal and meaningful this episode was. We also talked about the challenges and benefits of being an introvert in today's workplace. I just had to include that in this conversation! When was the last time you had to make a choice? What was your thought process? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comment section.