In this episode of the Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal welcomes Jennifer Gabriele, Partner and National Leader, Leadership & Team Development at Humance and co-author of The Inspirational Leader. Drawing on insights from her research and work with leaders across Canada, Jennifer explores how leadership has evolved in the wake of COVID and what it takes to manage and inspire teams in today's workplace. She discusses the shift toward shared leadership, the importance of executive presence, and why authenticity matters more than charisma. Jennifer goes on to share practical lessons from her book, including the difference between clarity and certainty, the power of curiosity, cultivating excellence, and why managerial courage is critical for navigating difficult decisions. As a renowned executive coach and facilitator to many of Quebec's leading organizations and companies across Canada, Jennifer brings these ideas to life through real-world stories and actionable insights in a lively conversation between two people passionate about leadership communication. Show notes: 00:32 Show intro 01:10 Welcoming Jennifer 01:43 The Inspirational Leader 01:57 What's the book about and why did you write it? 02:13 What makes a great leader? 03:32 What is Jennifer's story that led her to Humance? 03:51 We brand companies but not humans. Why not? 04:25 Products have far fewer dimensions than a person 04:36 Coca-Cola example 05:41 Her practice before Humance: executive branding 06:00 Why some persuade and others don't 06:36 The move to Humance 08:40 Acquiring Lord Communication 09:21 Focus on managers and executives 11:35 Interviewing leaders for the book: what did you find? 12:48 Themes that emerged from her qualitative research 13:02 Misplaced nostalgia for the "good old days" 13:47 Shared leadership 14:10 The impact of COVID on work culture 14:28 The amount and quality of presence required 14:44 During COVID, managers thought they needed to be 24/7 present 15:32 Bart discusses the decline in deference 16:27 Society has changed, too 16:34 Shortage of labour 17:31 What does it mean to be an inspirational leader? 18:15 You don't need to speak like Barack Obama; you just need to walk the talk 19:28 Getting people to follow you 19:49 Authority doesn't work. People need to believe in you 19:58 Passive-aggressive resistance to directive-style leadership 20:47 Three rules for inspiring leadership 21:23 The importance of having communication goals 25:19 The difference between clarity and certainty 25:43 What is cultivating excellence? 25:58 If you want to be an inspirational leader, you can't be a know-it-all 26:50 Example of the curious leader 27:20 How does curiosity tie to cultivating excellence? 27:54 Setting a standard for what excellence looks like 28:13 Teasing out unrealistic expectations and perfectionism vs. a healthy pursuit of excellence 28:48 Try your best vs. try not to make mistakes 29:11 How can leaders communicate this? 29:38 Don't hide if you don't know something 29:51 Instead of "Why did you do this?" say "How do we fix this?" 30:55 Example of dealing with a high-performing but toxic employee 32:18 Managerial courage 33:33 You lose talent if you're not a courageous leader 34:13 What did you learn from writing The Inspirational Leader? 35:47 Thank-yous 36:10 Show outro

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal sits down with Stéphanie Butt Thibodeau, EVP Talent and Corporate Affairs at iA Financial Group, to explore how leaders and organizations can embrace artificial intelligence while keeping people at the center of transformation. She begins by sharing how AI has fundamentally reshaped her own work, helping her rethink long-established habits and increase productivity. She goes on to discuss how iA Financial Group is helping employees navigate the uncertainty surrounding AI by fostering curiosity, experimentation, and a culture of learning. Stéphanie offers practical advice for leaders and professionals at all levels on overcoming anxiety around AI, and embracing the opportunities and excitement it can bring to their work. Through practical examples, personal vulnerability, and insights into iA's organization-wide approach to learning, Stéphanie offers an honest and practical look at what it takes to lead through one of the biggest workplace transformations of our time. A must-listen for anyone navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI. Show Notes: 01:07 Introducing Stéphanie 01:38 Talk about what IA is and what they do 03:26 A bit about her bio and early years 04:21 Her comfort with and enjoyment of change 04:33 Junior Achievement 05:06 Recipe card holder example 05:36 Radio show 06:22 Becoming an accountant? 06:42 Switched to finance and international business 06:48 Her career start 07:31 What led her into HR? 08:31 Getting the job at IA 10:09 What is the IA way of managing people? 10:24 Being a learning organization 10:31 Creating conditions where employees can be their best 11:08 Bart asks for an example of the learning culture 11:21 The VP summit at IA 12:28 AI and its implications 12:47 Started off thinking of it as an operational efficiency thing 13:00 Allowing people to focus on where they can add the most value 13:28 How has AI affected Stephanie's work? 13:51 Changing the way she works — example: preparing presentations 14:20 It's about "unlearning" our ways of working 14:37 Using AI as a chief of staff 14:59 Copilot helps organize her day and key tasks 15:57 Copilot as a personal assistant 16:46 The anxieties associated with the introduction of AI in the organization 16:59 Choose curiosity over fear 17:34 Quote: AI won't replace humans, just humans who don't use AI 18:21 What advice would you give to people about AI? 18:50 It's all about mindset 19:38 How do you demonstrate the learning mindset? 22:24 What's next after adopting the mindset? 22:53 Practice using the tools 24:13 Bart talks about the Anthropic models 25:33 Advice #3 25:50 AI ambassador network 26:14 Hackathons 27:28 Creating the muscle around learning 29:12 Learning is not just an HR thing 30:11 Where will the adoption of AI go in the years to come? 31:30 What are your personal hopes for the future? 32:13 Thank yous and Bart sums up the takeaways 33:23 Outro

Every leader knows how to have conversations. Far fewer know how to lead them. In this episode, Bart Egnal speaks with Sandra Bekas, Senior Learning and Development Manager at The Humphrey Group, about why conversations have become one of the most important leadership skills in today's workplace and how THG helps leaders prepare for and excel in these critical communication moments. Drawing on her background in language, rhetoric, cognitive science, and leadership development, Sandra shares insights into why conversations are where influence happens and why those moments have become more complex than ever. Sandra explains why conversations have become more frequent, more candid, and often more challenging as employees increasingly expect leaders to be more present, more transparent, and more accessible than ever before. She discusses the difference between routine and high-stakes conversations, why framing a conversation is critical to creating clarity and trust, and how leaders can guide discussions without becoming overly directive. The conversation also explores practical tools from The Humphrey Group's Art of Conversation program, including the ARC framework (Acknowledge, Refocus, Catalyze) for getting derailed conversations back on track. Whether you're navigating everyday discussions or pivotal leadership moments, this episode offers practical tools for communicating with greater confidence, clarity, and influence. Show Notes: 00:58 Introducing Sandra Bekas 01:41 Introducing the topic of conversations 02:37 What led you to this role? 02:50 Love of language 03:14 Thinking and language and emotion and how that shapes reality 03:37 Moving to Japan 04:14 Japanese different language structure 04:22 Maybe trim/cut this section? 05:52 Moved back to Canada - Canadian publishing 06:15 Majority of career in instructional design... 06:35 Joining HG 07:26 How have conversations reached this inflection point? 08:00 Post-COVID interactions 08:24 In-person and digital accessibility 09:10 Leadership conversations are now more fraught 10:18 COVID level-set us 10:45 Insert: the three A's 12:47 What is the new THG program? 13:14 The Art of Conversation program 13:25 The ability to dynamically influence others 13:49 Routine conversations vs. high-stakes conversations 14:15 Corporate conversations where you want to move the needle 14:43 How you present in the moment 15:01 How to exert your influence 15:42 What is framing and why is it important? 16:01 What is the purpose of this conversation? 16:33 Example: giving a poor performance review 17:44 Example: letting down people who didn't get the promotion 20:01 Summarizing 20:48 Introducing clarity in a meeting 21:22 Bart presents a challenging example of a situation that is hard to summarize 23:36 Getting derailed conversations back on track 24:56 A.R.C. 26:06 A: acknowledge 26:17 R: refocus 26:28 C: catalyzing question 30:16 You cannot script these moments 31:04 You can still be authentic when using these tools! 32:26 Where can people find out more?

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal speaks with Rachel Cossar, co-founder and CEO of Virtual Sapiens, about how AI is transforming leadership communication training. Drawing on her own journey from the professional world of ballet to expert in non-verbal communication, Rachel explains how her experience in performance and body awareness led to the creation of an AI-powered communication coaching platform. Together, Bart and Rachel explore why AI can be such a powerful complement to facilitated training and executive coaching, especially when it comes to practice, repetition, feedback, and accountability. They discuss their collaboration with The Humphrey Group, including how THG has trained the platform on their own IP and is integrating AI coaching into their programs to help participants build confidence and measure improvement over time. The conversation also examines the limits of AI, why human facilitation remains essential, and how the future of communication training will combine technology with human connection. A fascinating look at the evolving role of AI in helping people become more effective, authentic, and inspiring communicators. Learn more at https://www.virtualsapiens.co/ Show Notes: 00:19 Show intro 00:57 Introducing Rachel and Virtual Sapiens 02:29 Rachel’s background 02:48 Started off in ballet 03:17 Body awareness and presence 04:21 What dance training made her realize about office life 05:04 Starting her new career 05:26 Consulting with the hospitality industry 06:34 The “always on” nature of hospitality 07:23 Silent service 08:36 How this applies to executive and leadership development 09:06 How the COVID disruption changed her work and business 09:28 The idea for Virtual Sapiens 09:49 How do you take training and truly make it muscle memory? 10:55 Rapid adoption of video during COVID changed things 12:57 How did Virtual Sapiens come to be? 13:30 Initial product: a video sidekick coach 15:02 How did people respond to AI feedback? 15:53 People now have overly high expectations of AI 16:53 The complexities of video avatars 17:55 Why Virtual Sapiens was a natural fit for coaching firms 18:31 The asynchronous practice tool 19:26 How Virtual Sapiens fits with The Humphrey Group 19:47 The Humphrey Group’s “ELI” tool 20:13 Learners can see measurable improvements 20:49 Where is AI used best in facilitation and training? 21:44 Designing programs with more longevity 23:59 Scalable and concurrent learning 24:36 Why people find AI to be a safe space to practice 25:03 The fear of being judged 25:41 Why people prefer first reps with AI 26:23 Built-in accountability for learners 27:15 Post-facilitation tools and practice 29:36 Do people use it? 29:50 Why getting people on early is key 31:52 What is the future of Virtual Sapiens? 32:40 More task-specific LLMs 33:29 Where can people learn more

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