This is the final episode of the year...2 seasons complete!!! What a wild ride from September until now. Boy have we learnt a lot - from the basics of podcasting to all the fine gems of knowledge that were dropped by our amazing guests coming from various walks of life, diverse identities, different journeys and some great laughs along the way! I hope you enjoyed listening as much as I enjoyed recording.  This episode has a SURPRISE guest!!! You have listen to find out who it is...a celebrity for sure, but which one!!!  Keep sending in your feedback and encouragement to @positive_directions_podcast on instagram and email to [email protected] Have a great summer and we will be back with more great guests in the fall!! 

In this episode I am joined by the energetic Dr. Victoria Mattingly who brings her passion to the work of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. We discuss all aspects of this space and how to get the buy-in from the top of the organization all the way down.  We also touch on some key points of the book, Inclusalytics: How Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leaders Use Data TO Drive Their Work, which she co-authored with her colleagues Sertrice Grice and Allison Goldstein.  Dr. Victoria Mattingly (Dr. V) holds a PhD her organizational psychology, meaning she’s trained in the science of improving the human experience at work. Dr. V and has been providing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and learning & development (L&D) consulting services to businesses and non-profit organizations for over 10 years. She has built and implemented DEI & allyship solutions with companies such as Intel, American Eagle, Dicks Sporting Goods, Mine Safety Appliance, and Vizo Financial. Dr. V is CEO and co-founder of Mattingly Solutions, a diverse and woman-owned DEI consulting firm. Learn more at www.mattinglysolutions.com/contact Buy Dr. V’s book, Inclusalytics: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQB2MDD Connect with Dr. V on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vpmattingly/ For any feedback on the show and suggestions for future topics follow us on Instagram @positive_directions_podcast and send us a message. 

In this short special episode I bring back previous guest Sumana Jeddy to talk about the Workplace Wellness Summit - a project she is spearheading, taking place on LinkedIn live on Tuesday May 10th, 2022 and Wednesday May 11th. Join us for this two day event filled with speakers and moderated panel discussions including a virtual networking after party. Register at www.workplacewellnesssummit.club - you will see all the speaker bios and get register for day 1 and day 2 and the best part of it - IT IS FREE!!!! So register today and we will see you at the Summit!  Follow us on IG at positive_directions_podcast for all the latest episode news 

In this week's episode I chat with Gigi Robinson about how she overcame health challenges to starting her own business and accomplishing so much more at such a young age.  Gigi Robinson is a 24 year-old New York City Native. Graduated USC with a Bachelors in Fine Arts and is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in innovation design, business and technology from USC as well. She is a GenZ Chronic Illness and Mental Health advocate and Thought leader in the future of work regarding the creator economy, specifically focusing on authentic partnerships and she has been working in the field of social media and the creator economy for the past 5 years. Gigi is a content creator, photographer, public speaker and most recently a Sports Illustrated Swim Search Finalist for 2022. You can connect with Gigi on all her social media platforms @itsgigirobinson and listen to her podcast Everything You Need Is Within I hope you enjoy this week's conversation, I know I did. Feel free to drop me a line on IG: @positive_directions_podcast or an email: [email protected] 

This week Positive Directions is please to welcome from Spain a good friend Francisco Reyes Pereira. Francisco brings persistence, grit, and cooperation to the human resources space. He's a social entrepreneur and intrapreneur keenly curious about science, technology, and business. Knowing why people behave the way they do is one of his passions; the other is basketball. He's been a Marketing & Project Leader for seven years, creating and developing consulting projects using neuroscientific techniques and Behavioral Economics methods. I always like to get feedback from our listeners. Feel free to reach out to me by email [email protected]; on Instagram @positive_directions_podcast   If you or your team is looking for workshops that help improve productivity, sales, morale, leadership and more feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram @iamdavidspinnerconsulting or by email at [email protected] 

This week I introduce to you Susan Carr. Susan works with organizations to build resiliency to workplace stress in order to reduce absenteeism and turnover, while increasing productivity, improving organizational culture, increasing team effectiveness. How she does this is what is a bit different than most... She uses both a traditional learning format, combined with experiential learning using the wisdom of horses.... yes, horses. This is an ideal service for corporate retreats, strategic planning sessions, change management planning, or in-depth team development. For groups working remotely or in hybrid formats we support rebuilding the essential working relationships. She brings to her sessions over 30 years of work in the healthcare system, mostly in mental health, along with leadership training and certification as both a compassion fatigue trainer, and as a psychological health and safety advisor. She is also certified in two different modalities of using horses for skills development. I always welcome your feedback so reach out to [email protected] or via Instagram @positive_directions_podcast  Enjoy!  

In Episode 3 of Season 2 I bring back Jennifer Todd, DrPH, received her Doctor of Public Health in Community Health Sciences from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine where she studied health disparities among Native Americans. After Dr. Todd completed her doctorate, she was a senior research evaluator for the Federal Government’s Department of Health and Human Services working on high profile programs for nearly ten years. She worked to improve the health of women and adolescents, and communicate issues around sexuality and reproductive health in a sensitive and culturally appropriate way. Dr. Todd spent five years addressing emergency preparedness and disaster, including bioterrorism and pandemic influenza, and led crisis and risk communications planning for various hazards in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. Dr. Todd left the Federal Government to lead the development of a new undergraduate program in Public Health at the University of Maryland College Park, where she served for 5 years as the charter Director. She went on to hold administrative and senior lecturer positions with Johns Hopkins Communications Program, the University of Wollongong, in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, and currently is with George Washington University. She is the founder of Jennifer Todd Wellness, which focuses on helping employers address issues of workplace wellness, employee satisfaction and retention, and psychological safety. We hope you enjoy this episode and we look forward to your feedback. Please email us with any topic ideas at [email protected]   follow us on IG @positive_directions_podcast where you can catch our fun feature Rock It or Block It! where I fire some fun questions to get to know our guest. 

In this week's episode I am pleased to speak with my good friend and master storyteller Jessie Sternthal.  Jessie is no stranger to crafting positive narratives both around the big brands she works with and the little stories of her everyday life (they don't call her StoryGirlJess on Instagram for nothing.) With 17 years of ad campaign ideation and writing for brands like Air Canada, Weight Watchers, Imax, Reitmans & Liberty Yogurt under her belt, she's honed a skill that allows her to see most situations through a positive (and insightful) lens. As a Montrealer, Concordia & Humber College grad, Jess has worked as a writer and creative director in ad agencies in both Toronto and Montreal and has made her parents proud with several advertising awards including the IDEA awards, Marketing awards, Canada Cannes Young Advertising Festival, Interactive media awards and The Cassies. She's also an avid spinner, runner, car singer and was once a terrible waitress. (True story.) Please send us topic suggestions and any feedback to [email protected] or follow us on Instagram at @positive_directions_podcast

We kick off season 2 with a spirited conversation with Nicole North. Nicole is the President and Founder of Whiteboard consulting and has been leading large-scale leadership training initiatives with Whiteboard since its inception. Nicole’s formal education includes an honors BA from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is also certified as a Coach and as a practitioner in Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator assessments and training, Method Time Motion studies, and Appreciative Inquiry. She is the creator, designer, and lead facilitator of The Limitless Leader TM program that creates leaders and teams that feel limitless to create and innovate paired with accountability and grace. Nicole has been designing and delivering online and in-person delivering human skills content for the last 10 years and is a top-rated facilitator for her engagement and passionate approach to delivery. Whiteboard’s clientele includes: IMAX, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Hain-Celestial, Toronto Hydro,  Toronto General Hospital, Canada Council or the Arts, WSIB, The Ontario Public Sector, The University of Toronto, Georgian College, and Humber College. Nicole is a retired fitness instructor who dances on her Peloton, a cottage-country lover, a vegan cook, and can out-karaoke almost anyone. She talks everything from leaderships and relationship! Bringing a positive atmosphere to the organizations she works with on a daily basis. Thank you for listening and as always you can connect with us on Instagram, Linkedin and via email [email protected]

Season 2 is getting ready to kick off this month and we wanted to give you a quick preview of what is coming up - great new guests, bringing back some old ones and some exciting new segments. Get ready for another season of mind-blowing conversations and gems of knowledge.  We also plan on bringing some special items to you in the near future so follow us here - stay tuned for an announcement coming soon!!!  Have a suggestion for a topic? For a guest? Hit us up by email [email protected] OR follows us and DM on Instagram or Linkedin!