Jennifer McClure`

Equipping people leaders to navigate change — and design the future — with boldness and purpose.

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My Favorite Podcasts: Future of Work, Speaking, Entrepreneurship — And Just for Fun

My Favorite Podcast - June 2023

I’m an avid podcast listener, and I’m often asked for recommendations of some of my favorites, so here are a few, as of June 2023.

Let’s start with the assumption that you’re already subscribed and listening to MY podcast – Impact Makers with Jennifer McClure. 😉 (You ARE subscribed, right?)

Podcasts are currently my favorite learning and professional development resource, and I have about 30 different podcasts in my listening rotation, most of which fall into the following categories:

  • Future of Work / Human Resources
  • Professional Speaking
  • Business / Entrepreneurship
  • General Interest / Just For Fun

I’ve shared a few of my favorites below from each of the categories above, along with a sample episode or two from each that would give you a flavor of what the podcast is like, and that I think you’d enjoy:

Future of Work / Human Resources

Re:Thinking with Adam Grant

Redefining Work (formerly Redefining HR) with Lars Schmidt

All Hands with Katelin Holloway

Punk Rock HR with Laurie Ruettimann

HR Famous with Jessica Lee, Madeline Laurano, and Tim Sackett, SPHR, SCP

Professional Speaking

The Wealthy Speaker Podcast with Jane Atkinson

Mic Drop with Josh Linkner

The Speaker Lab with Grant Baldwin

Speakernomics – produced by the National Speakers Association

Business / Entrepreneurship

Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield

Business Accelerator Podcast with Megan Hyatt Miller and Michael Hyatt

The Goal Digger Podcast with Jenna Kutcher

The Influential Personal Brand Podcast with Rory Vaden, and AJ Vaden

You Are The Brand with Mike Kim

General Interest / Just For Fun

Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell

The Rich Roll Podcast with Rich Roll

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Flightless Bird with David Farrier

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Dress for Success: How Intentional Style Choices Reinforce Your Personal Brand With Image Coach Melanie Lippman

What does it take to unlock your true confidence and become the best version of yourself?

The answer may lie in your personal style. On episode 80 of the Impact Makers podcast, Melanie Lippman, an image coach and personal branding expert, shares her journey from the luxury fashion industry to empowering women leaders by defining their unique style.

In our conversation, we dive into the power of developing a positive mindset about our bodies and finding the clothes that work best for us. Melanie reveals how fashion can be a combination of math and science, but with the right formula, your look can be both comfortable and powerful. We also explore the unique challenges that women face in the corporate environment and how clothing can be used to either play bigger or look more approachable.

Don’t miss Melanie’s insights on building a versatile and intentional wardrobe to reinforce your personal brand, as well as tips on finding a balance between your authentic style and workplace expectations.

Tune in to level up your style game, make a lasting impact, and show up as your most powerful self!

Even though Melanie works primarily with women, her systems and approach – to create a wardrobe that makes you feel confident and reinforces your personal brand – make sense for everyone in the workplace.

Melanie and I chat about how important it is to develop a positive mindset about your own body, and the clothes that work best for who you are today, as well as how you can discover your own personal style and the powerful impact that can have on your confidence and success.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • Our clothes significantly influence our confidence and how we show up in various situations, so by understanding our personal style, we can feel empowered and in control of our wardrobe choices.
  • How your style and clothing choices can impact and strengthen your personal brand.
  • Overcoming negative mindsets around clothing and shopping experiences, and challenging limiting beliefs to embrace a new perspective.
  • How to develop a personal formula for dressing with impact, so you can show up with confidence.
  • The importance of understanding your own body shape, and finding clothes that work for you in the present moment, rather than waiting for a future weight loss journey.
  • How to adapt style for professional settings, and address some of the different expectations and challenges faced by women in corporate environments.
  • The importance of finding a balance between feeling confident and comfortable in your attire.
  • Why it does not have to cost you a fortune to restyle yourself, or to update your wardrobe.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 80

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

Supporting Links and Resources:

Melanie Lippman – Website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn

Free Online Masterclass for those who are ready to break out of their style rut

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Improving Employee Retention: 10 Essential Questions Leaders Should Ask Their Employees

In general, employees leave their jobs because they want more career growth, flexibility, and/or appreciation and recognition.

You’ve probably also heard that people leave managers, not companies.

In fact, there are many reasons why an employee many choose to make a change depending upon their individual circumstances, but there are some common factors.

As a leader, how can you prevent your best employees from leaving?

Take the time to have conversations with your direct reports and team members to understand what’s working, what’s not working, and how you can help to set them up for success.

Whether you’re doing performance evaluations, having end of year discussions, or talking about goal setting and goal planning for next year, I believe there are 10 crucial questions that leaders should be asking their employees to improve employee retention.

From identifying skills to develop, and areas needing support, to understanding preferred management styles, and exploring career growth opportunities, these questions provide valuable insights for creating a positive work environment that nurtures and retains top talent. By actively listening and acting upon the responses, leaders can establish stronger connections with their employees and foster a workplace culture that values individual growth and satisfaction.

10 Questions to Ask Employees to Improve Retention

Discover Skills to Focus on or Develop / Areas to Eliminate or Support

  1. What are 3 aspects of your job that you feel you’re best at, or enjoy the most?
  2. What are 2 areas in your job where you could use more support or resources, or would prefer not to do?
  3. Outside of work, what do you really enjoy doing? Do you have a hobby, or a passion project that you work on that gives you joy?

Learning and Development / Career Growth

  1. Is there something that you would like to have an opportunity to learn or explore, that either isn’t a part of your current job, or is something you’d like to try?
  2. Are there skills that you would like to learn, or career opportunities that you would like to explore that you don’t fee are available to you in your current role, or at this company?

Flexibility / Work Hours

  1. Does the current schedule or work situation allow you to do your best work, while also enjoying your life away from work?

Understand How Someone Likes to Be Managed

  1. How do you like to be recognized and appreciated? What is meaningful to you?
  2. How often would you prefer to meet to discuss and share progress against your goals?

Support Their Progress and Ensure Success

  1. What is one thing that I can do to set you up for success in 2023, that I’m not doing currently?

The Magic Question

  1. If I gave you a magic wand, and you could change one thing about your current job, or about the company – what would you change?

Employee retention remains a top priority for effective leaders, and understanding the reasons behind an employee’s decision to leave can help leaders to prevent valuable team members from looking for other opportunities to meet their goals and expectations.

Want to hear more on this topic, and understand the reasoning behind asking each of these questions?

Listen to the Impact Makers podcast episode 071 – 10 Questions You Should Be Asking to Prevent Your Best Employees from Leaving:

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Dancing with Monsters and Embracing Fearless Leadership with Dr. Todd Dewett

IMP Episode 079 - Dr. Todd Dewett

On this episode of the Impact Makers podcast, I welcome back my friend, Dr. Todd Dewett, a globally recognized leadership educator, author, and speaker, to chat about his latest book, “Dancing with Monsters: A Tale About Leadership, Success, and Overcoming Fears.”

If you’re familiar with and love some of the best-selling business books that are written as fables, like The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, The One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Dr. Spencer Johnson, or Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson, then you’re going to love Dr. Dewett’s book as well.

Dancing with Monsters is written as a business fable, told through the perspectives of vampires and monsters, with names like Sheets, Mum, Wolfy, and Z.

Through these intriguing characters, Dr. Dewett explores what facing fears, leadership, and success have in common, and how embracing and confronting our fears is necessary in order to harness our teams’ true power.

The book is a fun read, and I believe it’ll inspire you to face and overcome some of your own fears, so you can better optimize your key relationships by leveraging humility, authenticity, and kindness.

Todd is always one of my favorite people to learn from, and in our conversation today, he does not disappoint.

While we do talk about the book, which I highly encourage you to read, I think you’ll really enjoy hearing more of his frank and fresh approach to leadership, authenticity, and self-awareness.

In today’s podcast episode, we’ll chat about why he believes that embracing authenticity must be a part of every leader’s journey, and why it’s important to view people as partners, not resources in the work we’re trying to accomplish together. We’ll discuss how toxic positivity can derail teams, and the difference that building trust and communicating with candor can create. We’ll also discuss how leadership has changed and is evolving in a post-pandemic world, and Dr. Dewett’s 5 Rules of Leadership, as well as a motto that he believes every leader should adopt.

Dr. Dewett is a lot of fun to talk to and listen to, so sit back, and get ready to discover how to embrace authenticity, build trust, and turn obstacles into opportunities on your leadership journey.

And don’t forget to grab a copy of his new book, “Dancing with Monsters,” to discover how you can overcome fears, lead with authenticity, and unleash your true potential.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • Dr. Dewett’s journey in writing his fifth book, “Dancing with Monsters,” after previous attempts at writing a novel.
  • His inspiration for creating a fable that addresses common struggles such as anxieties, fears, and confidence issues faced by millennials and Gen Z.
  • The importance of authenticity in leadership, and how it aligns with the expectations of today’s generations.
  • Dr. Dewett’s 5 Rules of Leadership.
  • The dangers of treating employees like children and the importance of creating a balance between authority and open dialogue.
  • The role of candor in leadership, and the necessity of balancing candor with kindness to foster a productive and supportive work environment.
  • The importance of framing challenges in a positive and productive manner to help teams see the silver lining and find opportunities for growth.
  • The motto Dr. Dewett believes that every leader should embrace: SSGW – Take the step, Get the scare, Grow, and Win.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 79

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

Supporting Links and Resources:

Dr. Todd Dewett – Website, Linkedin, Books, LinkedIn Learning Courses

Dancing with Monsters: A Tale About Leadership, Success, and Overcoming Fears by Todd Dewett

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Discovering Strength and Courage in the Face of Job Loss and a Cancer Diagnosis with Nicole Roberts

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 078

Imagine receiving a breast cancer diagnosis just nine days after losing your job.

This was the reality for my friend, Nicole Roberts, an HR executive who faced these challenges beginning in December 2022.

In this truly inspiring episode of the Impact Makers podcast, Nicole shares her journey through conquering cancer and navigating the financial difficulties that came with it. Not only is she shouldering her family’s living expenses and her own medical care, but she also embarked on the journey of starting her own HR consulting and coaching business, People Solutions Group.

In our conversation, my friend Laurie Ruettimann, host of the Punk Rock HR podcast, joins me to explore with Nicole the original misdiagnosis of her breast cancer, and to discuss the importance of self-advocacy and self-care. Nicole’s story highlights the significance of having a treatment plan and the unwavering support of loved ones, as well as how to better support those who may face health or personal challenges in the future.

As Impact Makers, let’s unite in showing Nicole our support on her journey in every possible way. Connect with Nicole through the links in the show notes and consider contributing to the GoFundMe campaign set up to assist her and her family during this time.

Don’t miss this powerful episode, as it is essential listening for leaders and anyone in the workplace who may face similar challenges.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • Nicole Roberts, President of People Solutions Group, shares about her 20-year career in HR, and the motivation behind starting her own business.
  • Nicole was laid off from her job as an HR executive in December 2022, and was diagnosed with breast cancer nine days later.
  • Why it’s important to be your own advocate: Nicole’s journey from an initial misdiagnosis through seeking a second opinion, leading to a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer and lymph node involvement.
  • How resilience, mindset, and positive thinking has played a crucial role in Nicole’s approach to managing her health, while she is also pursuing the next steps in her career.
  • It can be embarrassing or difficult for many cancer patients to accept financial support, as it was initially for Nicole. She shares about her own experience with when she was ready and able to accept help and support from friends and professional colleagues, as well as why she believes it’s important to offer support without being asked.
  • A GoFundMe campaign has been created to provide an opportunity to support Nicole and her family in this journey. We hope that you’ll not only consider donating whatever you can, but also sharing it with others in your network who may be interested in her story, and ready to support.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 78

Supporting Links and Resources:

GoFundMe: Support Nicole Roberts & Her Fight Against Cancer

Nicole Roberts – LinkedIn, Twitter

People Solutions Group

Laurie Ruettimann – website, Punk Rock HR podcast

Links for support for breast cancer:

Pink Ribbon Good

Breast Wishes Foundation

Susan G. Komen

I Have Wings

Phil’s Friends

National Breast Cancer Foundation

Facebook Private Support Group “”Breast Cancer Support – I Got This!

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