In this episode, Bart Egnal speaks with executive, author, and leadership expert Barry Moline about what it takes to create authentic human connection in an increasingly disconnected world. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, including mediating high-stakes conflicts and leading organizations through crisis, Barry shares the lessons that inspired his book Connect: How to Quickly Collaborate for Success in Business and Life. From rebuilding trust as a young CEO to helping groups find common ground during conflict, Barry explains why connection is the foundation of influence, collaboration, and effective leadership. Bart and Barry explore practical ways leaders can foster stronger relationships at work, including “connection before content,” intentional conversations, and helping teams connect to a shared purpose. They also discuss why authentic connection matters more than ever in the age of AI, remote work, and digital overload. Whether you lead a team or simply want stronger relationships in your work and life, this episode offers actionable insights on how anyone can create true connection. Learn more at barrymoline.com Show Notes: 00:35 Show intro 01:13 Introducing Barry 01:52 Bart introduces the idea of “connection” 02:24 Barry’s story of how he got to this topic 03:33 Early CEO mistakes 03:47 You’re either with me or against me 04:43 Different culture than he was used to 05:42 Key advice from senior staff: build relationships! 08:16 2017 origin story for why he wrote the book 09:02 Working on a utility solution as an outside consultant 10:06 Does anybody get along anywhere? 11:11 Why doesn’t someone write a book about collaboration? 12:23 Isn’t it the CEO’s job to bring everyone together? 13:01 It’s not the facilitator that is important 13:57 Case study: California’s referendum on gay marriage 14:53 Understanding why people voted “no” 16:05 Door-to-door conversations and outreach 19:03 Bart reflects on the campaign 20:17 What is “connection” and what does it mean for leaders? 20:40 Enter connection lightly 21:19 Using icebreakers 22:17 Specific questions that help create connection 23:14 Avoid “How are you?” completely and go to an icebreaker 23:56 How to move beyond to deeper connections 24:09 Where to find a list of workplace-appropriate icebreakers 24:42 Understanding purpose 25:01 Example of a plumber and their importance to society 25:34 Tell employees what they do is important and why 26:27 Remind people why their work is important 27:01 Managers need to be respectful and caring 27:17 Find out what people really want to do in life 27:48 Example of an aspiring filmmaker and communications leader 29:52 Bart reflects on the example 31:10 Bart plays devil’s advocate 31:41 As an employee, how do you protect yourself while opening up about your interests? 33:44 Both sides of the conversation need to be judicious 34:18 Story and example of an engineer 36:47 What is the state of connection today? 37:04 Connection has gotten worse 37:24 Connection before content 37:51 You have to be intentional about connection 38:31 10 out of 10 times it will work 38:56 It will take 3 months of consistent effort 39:22 Example of hurricane response 41:40 Bart summarizes the importance of the topic 42:27 Where can people go to find more? 43:00 Thank-yous 43:13 Outro

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal speaks with Breann Kelly, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at Ewing Morris, about why a growth mindset is more important than ever. Breann reflects on her career journey and the choices that shaped it, sharing how a consistent focus on learning and curiosity guided her path from law into the world of investment management. She discusses what it takes to navigate uncertainty, build confidence in new environments, and lead through moments of real pressure, including guiding the firm through the COVID era and helping evolve the business along the way. A clear through line in the conversation is the power of a growth mindset. Breann shares how a willingness to step into new spaces and learn along the way has shaped her career, and why that mindset continues to matter in a world defined by AI and constant change. Her insights offer a clear lens on how to keep progressing, even when the path ahead is uncertain. 00:23 Standard show intro 01:00 Introducing Breann 01:37 What is Ewing Morris? 02:23 Bart’s disclaimer: I am a client and investor 03:13 Bart introduces the concept of “embracing the growth mindset” 03:47 How it all began for Breann 04:28 Specializing in the asset management space 05:08 BlackRock gig 05:46 Why did you leave the predictable legal profession path? 06:51 Legal profession — live to work rather than work to live 09:10 Moving from BlackRock to Ewing Morris 09:34 Natural ceiling at BlackRock Canada 13:24 Bart observes her ambition for advancement 13:51 What questions should people be asking of their current career path? 14:01 Through-line: passion for learning and growing 14:36 Challenge yourself: if you're not challenging yourself, you're not growing 15:45 The culture shock moving to EM 16:12 New mom + new job 17:21 Imposter syndrome challenge 17:42 You can't learn everyone’s jobs inside out as a manager 18:58 From big support team to team of one 19:04 The buck really stopped with me 19:26 The more you seek reassurance, the more it erodes confidence 21:05 Staying relevant in the age of AI? 21:51 Leading through the COVID era 23:58 The business impact of COVID on the markets 27:34 Fixed vs. growth mindset 28:07 The genesis of the SPV business 28:30 SPVs explained 31:21 Pivoting to wealth management 33:01 Aventine 34:18 Bart observes growth mindset at EM 35:04 Pale, male, and stale 35:41 How to have a growth mindset in turbulent/changing times 35:51 Advice: challenge yourself to always do hard things 36:03 Fostering a growth mindset with her kids 36:27 Always find something hard to do!

Public speaking sits at the heart of leadership, influence, and growth. For Sebastian Uzcategui, founder of SpeakUp Express, it also became the turning point that shaped his career. What began as a way to promote his work in finance quickly evolved into a deeper focus on speaking, as he discovered a passion for being on stage, telling stories, and connecting with an audience. In his conversation with Bart Egnal, Sebastian shares how developing his public speaking skills helped him grow his business, and how that momentum led him to expand into speaking full-time and support others in building their presence on stage. He also shares his tips on managing nerves, building an experience for your audience, using movement and delivery to create a stronger connection, and how these skills can help advance your broader business goals. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to become a more confident, impactful speaker. To learn more visit SpeakUP.Express Show notes: 00:31 Show introduction 01:10 Introducing Sebastian 01:49 Why should people care about public speaking 02:54 How Sebastian got his start 03:18 Early days starting businesses in his teens 03:58 Church speaking opportunity 04:50 Speaking solves the 3 most expensive problems in business 05:16 Trust, authority, connection 06:23 People see 6000 to 10000 ads per day 06:45 Cold call rates below 1 percent 06:55 People trust individuals more than brands 07:07 Purpose over profit 07:41 How things moved from the church to speaking business 09:35 Epiphany moment on the speaking business 12:19 Organic growth is the hardest to replicate 13:25 Things that went wrong that made Sebastian better at speaking 14:37 Tune your audience to you and you to them 16:05 Advice for people who want to get into speaking 16:26 You have to believe your message 17:11 You have to believe your audience needs to hear it 17:27 Slow down 18:05 Believe you are the only one to give that message 18:39 Bart’s pharma executive thought experiment 19:58 What makes you a revolutionary speaker 20:12 Focus on impact over product 21:24 What defines an entrepreneur, speaker, and leader 23:20 Nerves, do they go away and how to deal with them 24:42 You will be crushed by nerves, it is normal 25:18 Just be loud! 27:17 Less is more, quality over quantity 27:46 Top speakers build an experience 28:39 You always create an experience when you speak 30:46 Making people care and remember 31:13 The speaking game 33:09 You master your speaking, everything falls into place 33:29 How to find Sebastian 34:40 Thank yous 34:55 Outro

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal speaks with award-winning journalist and producer Melanie Marshall about what it really takes to tell stories that resonate. Drawing on more than 20 years with the BBC, reporting from conflict zones, covering global crises, and leading editorial teams, Melanie shares practical lessons for leaders who want their messages to truly connect. They explore how to find the human element that brings any story to life, what it takes to stand out in an age of AI generated content, and how to build a clear narrative arc when you are competing for attention. Melanie also shares how leaders can help others develop their storytelling skills and why storytelling has become an essential leadership capability. Through powerful real-world examples from her career, Melanie shows that storytelling is not just a communication technique, but a way to create meaning, build connection, and inspire action. If you want to learn more about Melanie, visit her websites: www.melaniemarshall.com and www.imramamedia.com 00:24 Show Intro 01:03 introducing Melanie 03:03 Her journey to BBC journalism 04:33 Falling in love with journalism 04:57 story of getting placed in Africa instead of entertainment journalism 06:10 Early experiences of going to Africa 06:16 The kindness of other people to teach you 07:46 Coming back to Canada and Tech boom 07:59 Foray into setting up a media company 08:29 Won a venture capital competition 09:03 When it all blew up - I took it hard 09:13 Ended up on "Venture" 09:43 When the venture failed - took it as a personal failure 09:56 Going back to BBC 10:29 Learning to tell stories... 10:49 Firefighting 11:40 Differentiating yourself (including from AI slop) 12:01 Integrity and authenticity on the ground 12:30 How to behave like a human being 12:47 Logging in Brazil story 13:15 Telling abstract stories that reach people 13:51 Finding the human element to bring a story to life 14:33 Really listen to what's happening on the ground 15:02 "bring people there 16:08 Audiences can sense "phoney" 16:34 Next phase of career - from conflict zones 16:52 Those times in life when you have to make a move 17:32 Learning to tell stories in different formats 17:55 Building a narrative arc when you are competing for attention 18:07 Tell the same story in a million ways 20:06 Afgan maternal mortality story + lesson learned 24:13 What is a powerful story? 24:52 3rd phase in her career - Leadership role 27:46 How to teach others to tell stories 27:58 Understand what they are good at 28:27 Journalist Tom's story 30:31 One of Tom Bateman's stories 32:45 What 3 pieces of advice would Melanie give 33:07 start with something you have in common 33:23 Look for details! 34:21 Give people somewhere to go - Hero's Journey 35:09 How to find out more about Melanie 35:42 Thank yous 36:04 Outro

Season 8 kicks off with a timely conversation on what it takes to lead in today’s high-pressure environment. Bart sits down with Carolyn Lawrence, founder of ClearPath and former Global Head of DEI at Deloitte, and Jennifer Laidlaw, founder of Cre8 Coaching, to explore the growing pressure leaders are facing today, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. As expectations rise and roles continue to expand, many leaders are feeling the weight of increased responsibility and scrutiny, often without clear support on how to navigate it. Carolyn shares what she’s learned from years of working inside organizations on how to embed inclusion into the way businesses actually operate, not just as programs, but as systems that drive performance. Jennifer brings the complementary perspective of the “inner game,” helping leaders understand how their state of mind shapes how they show up, make decisions, and sustain energy over time. Together, they offer a practical and honest look at how to navigate these pressures, with clear ideas leaders can apply right away to better support themselves, their teams, and the systems they’re part of. Show Notes 00:23 Show intro 01:01 Welcoming Carolyn and Jennifer 02:01 The idea for this episode 03:22 How Jennifer and Carolyn partnered 03:57 Carolyn’s passion for equity and inclusion 04:12 Women of Influence organization 04:47 Leading Deloitte’s DEI efforts 05:18 Systematizing DEI 05:48 Avoiding backlash 07:04 Jennifer’s background 07:35 The 30% Club in Canada 08:01 The inner game 08:49 How Carolyn and Jennifer work together 09:13 Combining the inner and systemic revolution 09:59 Responding to the shift away from DEI 10:45 Why many DEI programs faltered 12:15 Getting the tactics wrong 13:26 What leaders are experiencing today 17:14 The pressure of rising to the top 17:48 Example of an executive navigating these challenges 20:04 Addressing inclusion challenges in a constructive way 22:20 Advice for leaders feeling this pressure 23:23 Mindfulness 25:32 How mindfulness helps 26:24 Reality vs the stories we tell ourselves 26:57 Staying grounded in high-pressure environments 28:11 Returning to the present moment 29:47 Working on yourself vs the system 30:21 Three ways to improve organizational systems 31:13 Ask 31:54 Articulate 33:51 Accountability 34:11 Defining visible metrics 34:52 Measuring inclusion 37:22 What success looks like personally 38:09 Getting into flow 40:41 Final advice 42:23 Thank yous 42:42 Outro

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart speaks with Barry LaBov—CEO, founder, author, and former rock musician and producer—about his new book The Power of Differentiation. Barry explains why differentiation is critical for brands, businesses, and leaders, and how clarity around what makes you unique is essential in today’s crowded marketplace He shares stories from his early days in the music industry and his unexpected transition into marketing, highlighting how great bands, great companies, and great leaders all know what makes them distinctively unique, and they double down on it. Barry also walks through his approach to finding and naming your differentiators, and why leaders must launch and celebrate them by engaging the people who bring them to life. Whether you want your business to stand out or you’re looking to elevate your own leadership brand, Barry’s insights offer practical guidance for differentiating in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Shote Notes: 00:22 Show intro 00:56 Introducing Barry 02:05 What is differentiation? 02:53 It's so important today to have authenticity 03:15 Harley Davidson's differentiation 03:58 Elon Musk 04:42 Bart talks about differentiating brands 04:59 Music and unique artists 06:07 Barry's early days in a band and as a producer 06:58 Wrote songs for famous performers 07:19 Band members were all doing something unique 07:47 From music to marketing 09:49 Someone asked him to take on a marketing role – and he declined!  10:18 We trust YOU  10:49 Writing a book 11:09 Why write the book on differentiation? 11:48 How the COVID great resignation changed his thinking 12:11 Hearts, minds and market share 12:46 How can people discover their unique proposition? 13:20 Talk to humans about the brand 14:21 Observing the biz to see what is unique 14:53 Example of a unique process in a business 15:50 Jam session with the client 16:07 Taking the differentiators and executing in marketing and business 16:21 The Launch 16:26 Launch to the most important people first  16:58 You're often too close to your own work to see the differentiators 17:47 How to do this personally 19:08 These are things I do well — but it's not for everyone!  20:14 Celebrating your differentiators 24:03 Morale slipping — leaders need to reframe 25:26 How to maintain enthusiasm for your core strengths 25:57 Don't wait for the holiday party — tell them every day  26:28 Don't talk about profit unless you are sharing it 27:03 Cheerleading vs authentic celebration 28:41 Music acts that are unique today 30:53 Where can people get more 31:28 Thank-yous and outro

Exciting news: The Humphrey Group has been acquired by Humance! In this special episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal speaks with Bernard Letendre, Managing Partner, Ontario and Western Canada at Humance, about the story behind this decision and the journey that led him there. Bernard shares his remarkable career path from practicing law to leading major divisions in Canada’s financial services industry, to joining Humance and becoming the architect behind its acquisition of The Humphrey Group. Along the way, he reflects on lessons learned about taking risks, creating opportunities rather than waiting for them, and pursuing growth with purpose. He also draws powerful parallels between leadership and his lifelong practice of judo, where discipline, humility, and mutual benefit are essential to success. Bart and Bernard close with an inside look at how the merger came to be after a year of conversation and a shared vision for growth, and how it will set both organizations up to continue serving their clients in existing and new ways. Whether you’re navigating your own career transitions or leading through change, this conversation offers powerful insights on creating your own opportunities, embracing non-linear growth, and finding strength in partnership. Show Notes: 00:14 Show intro 00:48 Welcoming Bernard 01:14 Special announcement 02:05 "Humance" meaning 02:29 Judo and its importance 04:40 How Bernard began his career 05:01 Law and the law of electronic surveillance 05:34 Wife: "law made you less fun to be around" 06:47 Joined IG 07:06 Taking a 100% commission job 07:53 Making cold-calls to the bar phonebook 08:35 Finding opportunities in the new job 08:40 Officer training in the military 09:05 Good at management 10:19 Changing career paths regularly 10:36 Switching to Standard Life 11:21 Standard life 12:05 2009 Financial crisis - lost job 12:14 Landing at Manulife 12:36 Should you take a step down in your career? 13:01 Building a biz plan for private wealth at Manulife 13:44 Manulife tapped him to run his business plan 14:54 Advice for people who are ambitious with their careers 15:08 Don't wait for opportunity, come up with ways of creating value 15:36 Congrats, you have employment now figure out your job 16:50 How the Pandemic transformed his life 17:53 cert in organizational coaching 20:59 Why he made the leap to Humance 22:38 Long-term thinking 22:45 Doing is big "act" before it was too late 24:16 Advice: A career does not have to be linear 25:13 Not having a rigid mind 25:36 The final act: Humance 27:05 His Biz plan for expanding Humance outside the Quebec market 28:48 How Bernard reached out to Bart 31:17 Mutual benefit in Judo 33:41 Thank yous and wrap up 34:02 Outro

What does it really take to build great leaders? In this episode of the Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal sits down with Rob Buckingham, Executive VP at Quest Window Systems Inc and retired Canadian Forces Captain, to unpack how leadership is intentionally developed in both the military and business. Rob shares powerful lessons from his time in uniform when he was first exposed to foundational leadership and how the Canadian Forces empowers junior leaders to step up from day one. He explains how that experience taught him the value of feedback, the importance of resilience under pressure, and why empowering people early creates lasting strength in any organization. He then reveals how those same principles shaped his corporate career and what he learned as a management consultant and, more recently, in his current role as Executive VP of a global manufacturing company. He closes by sharing perspectives from his work with Treble Victor, an organization that matches veterans with civilian organizations, and shows why companies that tap into military leadership talent gain a powerful edge. If you’ve ever wondered what foundational leadership looks like in practice and how you can cultivate it in your own organization, this conversation is for you.   Show Notes 00:15 Show intro 00:52 Introducing Robert Buckingham 03:12 What is foundational leadership and why is it important? 03:18 Fostering a leadership culture  03:42 Empower junior leaders 04:07 What orgs get right and wrong about leadership development 04:53 Military officers have responsibility right away 06:12 Give junior leaders tools to lead early on  07:00 Why did you enlist in the army 09:42 What is Mission-command 10:28 Military gets planning and execution of tasks 12:57 Forecast Plan Control Review 13:29 Resilience 13:33 Key values: loyalty, integrity, mission first 13:49 Can you teach these leadership traits or are they innate? 15:09 High fallout rate in the military 18:35 Continuous training 19:41 Instantaneous coaching feedback 20:06 Growing a culture of feedback 20:18 What's the toughest feedback you got in your career? 21:19 Like sports team culture 21:35 The worst thing is complacency 24:04 One of my proudest achievements in the military 24:43 Transitioning from military to the corporate world, was it a shock? 25:59 Translating to civilian speak 28:01 What maps and what doesn't? 29:11 Put things in place, succeeded! 30:47 Span of control 32:35 Corporate environment never plan 33:29 50 50 leadership vs tasks 34:00 Joined Quest 35:01 Set your team up with a structure where information flows up and down 36:15 How to know how an org is doing with leadership? 36:49 Does the front line mission line up with the org's mission? 38:18 The Back Brief  39:55 Treble Victor 45:38 Thank yous 46:00 Outro

In this episode, Bart sits down with Janet Drysdale, Interim Chief Commercial Officer at CN, to explore her career journey through progressively senior roles and how communication has been the key differentiator at every level. Janet reflects on the different skills required at each step of a career, and how even today, in a new senior role, it’s critical that she continues to hone her ability to influence, listen, and inspire. She shares how the demands of communication shift as your career grows. Early in your career, you need the courage to share your opinion, as you advance, you need to learn to say “no” quickly and decisively. At more senior levels, it becomes essential to translate complexity into clarity, become an exceptional listener, and empower others to speak up and share their voice. Whether you’re just starting out or leading at the highest level, this conversation weaves together Janet's insights and experiences to reveal the communication skills that matter most and how they can fuel your success. Show Notes: 00:12 Show intro 00:47 Introducing Janet 02:14 Why communication has been important for Janet's career 03:11 Communication is the single most important skill 03:54 Communication in the early years of Janet's career 05:01 Early career very FACT-focused 05:23 But what do you think about the facts 06:39 Was there a moment when she had to step up and lead 06:49 Nobody could argue with facts but suggesting solutions was scary 07:57 The beginning of real conversation is when you put yourself out there and get feedback 08:51 Investor relations role 10:59 Communication helps build relationships 12:54 Influencing the C-suite level 13:03 The way you communicate matters 13:48 Tailoring communication to the room 14:41 Bart recalls a time when they worked together 16:51 Sometimes you need the facts not the story from people 19:31 Understanding the why and how they're telling the story 20:16 Helping others find their communication styles 21:22 Bart asks her for a story of helping a team member 22:44 People in the room who want to talk but are too shy 23:56 Reinforce the behavior 24:18 The importance of listening 26:42 The finance team also needs to learn to communicate 27:33 It doesn't matter what your role is communication is key 27:56 The downside of a "maybe" 28:24 If you're going to have to say "no" don't string it out with "maybe" 29:48 Communication is also to build trust and respect 30:24 What skills is Janet still working on 31:27 Thank Yous 31:58 Show outro

In this episode, Bart speaks with Dave Garrison, Founder and Chief Navigating Officer of Garrison Growth, about his new book The Buy-In Advantage. They explore why employee engagement is at a decade low, the forces driving disengagement, and why it’s critical for leaders to overcome these challenges to build a fully committed workforce. Dave shares practical, no-cost strategies leaders can use to foster authentic buy-in—shifting from “telling” to “asking,” recognizing employees as human beings (not just human doings), and connecting people’s work to purpose and growth. A timely and valuable conversation for leaders at all levels, offering concrete tools to inspire and engage teams in an era when it matters more than ever. Get your copy of The Buy-In Advantage here: https://buyinbook.com/ 00:37 Show intro 01:14 Welcoming Dave Garrison 01:51 What is a Chief Navigating Officer? 03:14 Dave's career background 04:27 The story of seeing a shaman 05:54 Removing artificial constraints 06:48 Walking out of the corporate world into CNO 07:22 What it was like to leave the job he had 07:53 The business was funded on credit card debt 08:18 How the venture has evolved in the last 10 years 09:27 About his new book 10:59 Creating engagement 11:06 Game-changing orgs always have 3 elements 11:38 How do leaders build an environment for engagement? 12:52 What is the buy-in crisis? And where does it come from? 13:49 Gen Z values – money less important, impact with like-minded people 14:59 What's driving the buy-in crisis 16:17 Two-thirds don’t care about the company 16:32 The costs of lack of engagement 16:53 Churn is a waste of time and resources 17:49 Are companies just grinning and bearing it with turnover? 19:01 How do great leaders foster buy-in 19:27 Give up on the bully or bribe approach 20:15 Why can’t people be as enthusiastic about jobs as they are about sports? 20:50 The way the boss sees things is only one way 21:02 Collective genius 21:22 Human beings, not human doings 22:10 Sense of purpose 22:34 Challenges and opportunities to learn and grow 22:57 Bart summarizes main points so far 23:35 Warning signs that buy-in is not occurring 26:21 What lets you know this is a great idea? 26:48 Don’t share your idea — share the problem 27:36 Example of Jeff Edison’s leadership 30:16 Ask questions instead of providing answers 32:08 Example of older leaders stuck in ‘answer mode’ 34:05 Teachers with right answers 34:52 Where are we with workforce engagement? 35:21 We’re at a decade-low in engagement 36:23 Where to find The Buy-In Advantage 37:15 Thank Yous 37:28 Outro