Say It Skillfully® (Molly Tschang)

Molly Tschang sits down for a conversation on the Say It Skillfully podcast with former WD-40 CEO, Garry Ridge. 

The conversation revolves around personal and professional growth, cultural understanding in international business, and the importance of authenticity and purpose in leadership. Garry shares his experiences and insights on how to navigate life's journey with clarity, speed, and self-compassion. He emphasizes the significance of values, people-first mindset, and effective communication in achieving success. Garry gives personal anecdotes from his career and life, and mentions key factors in building positive relationships and gaining respect in international business.

Molly is joined on the Say It Skillfully Podcast by the design director for the elite sportswear company designing for the best athletes in the world, including the women's Olympic gymnastic team, Jeanne Diaz.

One of the creative geniuses behind the stunning women's patriotic blinged out leotards from this year's Olympics, Jeanne joins the show to share her story, including how she chose to follow her passion, navigating and building a career in the fashion industry, and recently working with amazing athletes like Simone Biles while designing Olympic sportswear.

Ganesh Iyer, CEO of Etnyre International, joins Molly on the Say It Skillfully podcast to share his inspiring journey from a humble upbringing in India to navigating the corporate world and becoming a CEO. He discusses the importance of putting people first in business, the challenges of leadership, and the philosophy of optimizing profit while improving lives. Ganesh reflects on his experiences, the lessons learned from mistakes, and the significance of work-life integration. The conversation emphasizes the value of kindness, adaptability, and the pursuit of meaningful work.

Since leading fashion designer Robby Geller moved to LA from Germany at a young age, he has never stopped learning. He discusses the array of learning curves he has faced throughout his personal and professional journey- whether that be at age five or 35, with language and even fashion. Most importantly, he emphasizes the need of active contribution to get things done.

Hear about the not-so common path of a world renowned fashion designer and how contributing to the conversation can be fully life changing.

Total Leadership CEO, Stew Friedman, joins Molly on today’s episode of Say it Skillfully. Ranging from topics of favorite bands to leadership to the purpose of life. The enriching conversation spans from topics of favorite bands to leadership to the meaning of life. Stew exemplifies the idea the you don’t need to know where you are going to end up in the right place.

Visit https://www.totalleadership.org/ for free videos, book chapters, articles including the 50+ that he's written for Harvard Business Review and more from Stew. 

Also, follow Stew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewfriedman/

In this episode of the Say It Skillfully Podcast, Molly has a conversation with Rachel Ziering, the Founding Executive Director of Muddy Paws Rescue. Rachel shares her journey from a musical upbringing to her passion for dog rescue, detailing her experiences and the challenges she faced while building her nonprofit organization. The conversation highlights the importance of following one's passion, the lessons learned from both music and nonprofit work, and the impact of community outreach in animal welfare. In this conversation, Rachael shares her experiences and insights from leading a nonprofit organization focused on animal rescue. She discusses the importance of managing volunteers, the challenges of nonprofit leadership, and her motivation to continue her work. She also talks about the vital role of fostering in animal rescue, the strategies for fundraising, and how she handles criticism and online reviews. 

Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank, joins Molly Tschang on the Say It Skillfully podcast to share her inspiring journey from corporate leadership to nonprofit work, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, self-discovery, and mission-driven leadership. Trisha discusses her early life challenges, the importance of education, and the pivotal moments that shaped her leadership style. She talks about her work at the North Texas Food Bank, highlighting the need for strong governance and effective practices to serve the community better. Trisha reflects on her personal growth, the significance of listening as a leader, and the impact of her experiences on her current role. 

Unexpected social media sensation David Lorimer joins Molly for this episode of the Say It Skillfully podcast and delves into the "behind-the-scenes" of his @today.iam.grateful Instagram page. David authentically shares his journey, from his childhood in Iowa and Kentucky through his adult life, telling tales of his career, relationships, and finding himself.

He further tells us the duality between joy and true fulfillment. David goes beyond his everyday work life and dives into balancing it with the intricacies of parenting and mental health.

Finally, he teaches us how intentional gratitude and personal reflection are the greatest shields against mental health issues.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 113 is the 20th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. In hearing the life journeys of people you might not otherwise encounter, listeners gain empathetic understanding for what may be a very different experience of what it means to grow up, go to school, struggle, work and live in our world. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly starts the new year with a strong, young voice. “Never-giving up” 16-year old GenZ Lea Wilson delights in bringing a smile to young and old alike. Born and raised in New York City, Lea was diagnosed with dyslexia in the 3rd grade. Discovering this was itself quite a roller coaster ride. She talks about navigating many different schools and observes that she was never taught to consider her dyslexia as a disability, but instead a way of learning and thinking differently, as in being “neurodivergent.” Continually in circumstances with people not familiar with what it’s like, she opens up about the disheartening feeling around not reading well, and about handling sensitive conversations that accelerated her own skillfulness and strong sense of self-advocacy. “Don’t take others’ words to heart–they’re telling more about them than you.” Lea’s passion for art and sports also play a huge role in her sense of self, and her thoughts on “boy crazy-friends” bring a chuckle. She lets us into the struggle she’s having after an unexpected surgery that’s cast some dark clouds around her and impacted her studies, the stress of college applications, and how she seeks guidance from her parents. Learn from her mantra, “Suck it up and ask for help when you need it!” Don’t miss this opportunity to bask in the “lightness” and courage of a very bright light. Lea inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard. Molly’s thought for the week (Thanks to her friend Bonnie Reuben): A life full and rich with love knows no bounds. It is only contained by the room the heart makes for it. Resources to help you #sayitskillfully!
—Take advantage of the wisdom of youth—you won’t regret it http://bit.ly/38i5sbU
—Self-confidence starts with you! http://bit.ly/2NyZxHN
—All Molly's videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 61, the 8th feature of OUR VOICES, NFL pro turned entrepreneur Marques Ogden shares his remarkable story of diversity on many levels. With a supreme role model in his father, he opens up about a fractured relationship with his mother & the reality of going from plenty at home to deliberately overeating when at friends’ because his own fridge was bare. Marques talks of early struggles at Howard Univ—tough love when his GPA was 1.8 made all the difference (and a 3.8)—the business of football, and how arrogance in his 1st company led to the lowest of lows…just $400 left to his name. Marques tells it like it is; self-doubt bent him, but never broke him. He encourages all to realize that little things can go a long way to create a society in which all are safe, seen & heard, and our true, best selves.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 9, Bex explored her inner dialogue about doing work she loves, though not the compensation. How to consider the opportunity cost and position herself to be valued in a way that feels right? Christian asked how to “say no” when senior stakeholders want you to take on more work than you have bandwidth for. And we talked about approaching a colleague who’s executing fine on the job, but isn’t exactly superb in their people interactions and softskills (17:50). Steeped in the rapidly-changing IT industry, Patrick wanted to better utilize his own metaskills to more quickly connect with people and help them to fully embrace change (30:45). Join the show and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 163 is the 32nd monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly is joined by Rorke Denver, who gives an inside look into what it has been like being a Navy SEAL Commander, family man, author, actor and keynote speaker. First, Rorke talks about his upbringing, sharing how thankful he is for his parents, how he found his footing in the world by playing sports—culminating in leading a 2-time national championship lacrosse team at Syracuse University. He knew from an early age that with discipline, focus, drive and a dream, he could do anything. Hear how Rorke was a keen and effective learner, even though classroom academics were not his strong suit. Rorke shares how the ideas of service and earning your spot at the table (from Winston Churchill’s autobiography) were driving forces in his decision to join the military; the challenge of an 80% attrition rate fueled his desire to be a SEAL. He talks about the toughness of SEAL training, and explains how keeping a “long range focus” and bringing those around him up were key factors in making it through the intense training. Rorke opens up about his time as a SEAL commander, shares what it was like leading hundreds of harsh missions with life or death consequences, praises the teammates he had along the way, and tells stories from those missions, including a close call that demonstrates how “making your practice perfect” led to lives being saved. Lastly, Rorke talks about his post-military life. He shares lessons learned and top takeaways from becoming a best-selling author, actor, keynote speaker and family man. Don’t miss Rorke’s advice for leaders, including the importance of having non-negotiables, and how the best of the best are “students of leadership.” Molly’s thought for the week (thanks Rorke): Reach for an inch.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 114 Christian calls in first with how to deal with a sensitive “elephant on the table” issue (it is the big boss!). Then Jason, soon to graduate from college, asks about the balancing act of “selling oneself” in an appropriate way. We also talk about preparing for interviews, including the “tell me about yourself” question, and the mindset that you are also interviewing the organization (11:50). Next, Veronica shows her vulnerability: recently promoted into a leadership role, she’s in new territory where influencing and collaborating across a broad set of stakeholders is crucial and requires a different skill set than executing on the work. Veronica and Molly delve into her “me-you-we” framework to help her in building strong relationships (32:15). Molly wraps with a scenario from The New York Magazine ethicist column (1/4/22) to provide the words to help someone diplomatically maintain appropriate boundaries in a professional relationship (49:30). Tune in to unpack these challenges and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself!
Molly’s thought for the week: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the constant pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.” —Albert Einstein (in 1922 he wrote this and noted to the bell boy that it would someday be worth more than a tip—in 2017 the note sold for over $1.5 million)

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 62 Molly’s first caller, Joey, is excited about a job offer from an industry leader, but not fully clear on the actual role; he asks about getting clarity. Next, Brett has a new boss after a reorg and is keen for how to contribute his expertise (which his boss doesn’t have) without ruffling feathers. (10:30). I tackle a couple of topics: when others underestimate your capability and also engendering a real conversation on diversity (28:00). Lastly, Heidi asks how to advise a friend in need of mental health support from work, though she isn’t sure how to raise this sensitive topic without risking that others diminish their perceptions of her (37:00). Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 10 started with a caller, Sunder, who wanted help to “say no,” especially to those in senior positions. William called in for a lively conversation on ways parents and their beloved college-age children can more skillfully relate (7:00). Teresa, 10 years into her career, asked about how to get started on exploring “what’s next” (27:30). My final caller, Gal, shared his experience with bullying in the workplace, and we discussed what you can do to overcome this, and when it may be the right thing to leave the bully behind (38:15). Join the show for these topics and her live conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 164, Frank Sciame, founder of Sciame Construction, shares his unique path to success in business and life. Growing up in East Brooklyn, Frank’s family was not well off financially, but he was blessed to be surrounded by loved ones who were positive influences and big supporters of him. He shares that, from a young age, he found an escape by building things and also gained respect for the working man because of his father. Frank talks about his unique education and path to success, including many ups and downs, learning along the way that when things don’t work out, it’s not necessarily bad and that no matter how bad it seems at the time, it’s happening for a reason... Life has a plan. Frank gives us an inside look at his business, Sciame Construction, and talks about how it’s “all about people”. At one time, three big projects crashed and burned, taking him from being on top of the world to humbled by the struggles of owning his own company; this served as a big reason why he made sure his kids faced their own share of adversity. He also shares how the time and priority management skills gained from construction helped him balance his work and family life. Frank talks about the most important things in trying to be a phenomenal leader and shares keys to success, including the most important point: LEAD BY EXAMPLE. He inspires us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. P.S. Didn’t have time to touch on this today, but check out this WSJ article with a great story about what Frank created for his grandkids:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-new-york-builder-restores-historic-connecticut-lighthouse-for-sleepovers-with-his-grandchildren-11635426459 Molly’s thought for the week, from Frank’s Mom: When there’s a will, there’s a way.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 115, Molly is joined by Tim Fitzpatrick. With three decades in the world of collegiate athletics, Tim shares how sports changed his life and can be a game changer for young people in school and life. Tim and his sister grew up lower, middle-class, and while his parents weren’t college-educated, they knew school would be the difference for their children. He speaks poignantly of the sacrifices his parents made, enabling him to attend private Catholic schools that created a rock solid framework of values and discipline that has served him his entire life. He reminisces of playing catch in the yard every night with his dad, his journey to being a college athlete and the realization that his ability to play sports was not a right, but a privilege. His career includes the athletics programs at many top-tier and NCAA Division 1 schools, including U.S. Coast Guard Academy, West Point, Texas A&M, Indiana University, University of North Carolina-Charlotte and University of Pittsburgh—holding numerous roles including athletic director. Tim gives us an insider perspective on the ever-changing world of collegiate athletics, the NCCA and how student-athletes are impacted by certain rules. Having raised millions of dollars and navigated these intense environments, he also talks about his own career transition that enabled him to leave the “rat race” and succeed on his terms. Don’t miss Tim’s perspective on the issues that youth sports are faced with in today’s world and an important lesson passed down from his father on being grateful. Join Tim and Molly for a thought-provoking conversation in an area with the potential to transform how young people feel about themselves.
Molly’s thought for the week:
“Don’t permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.”
—Joe Madden, Manager of the Anaheim Angels Major League Baseball Team

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 63, Mike, an introvert who leads technical folks, calls in about a team member’s lack of motivation. Next, Denise has apprehension about a familiar situation...how to get clarity on a project that you need to execute when the sr executive isn’t communicating the purpose or details clearly (20:40). Then, Uri calls in about a client in a precarious place: exhausted & desperate in an 80-hr a week job with no end in sight (40:15). Molly’s thought for the wk honors one of the most remarkable, impactful human beings and a leader of leaders, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, “Leadership is how much do you care to humble yourself, listen to others and change your behavior so that a group of people does something they wouldn’t do otherwise.” Tune in & learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 11, Molly's 1st caller, Diane, asked about how to influence a leader who doesn’t report to her and whose inexperience as a leader was very damaging the team. Molly then shared insights from former Baxter CEO Harry Kraemer to help every individual lead themselves (24:00). Former Olympian and coach Robert Weir joined Molly for an insightful conversation on bringing out the highest levels of performance (30:30). And finally, leadership coach Paul asked about ways to help individuals realize they need to “do the work” (and not rely on their coach to do it for them 46:30) Tune in to the show for these topics and her conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 165 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. Her first caller Predrag, whose background is computer science, shares his feelings with the recent deluge of tech layoffs. He recalls that looming feeling of “will it be me?” He describes people performing well for 10 and 15 years, then—boom—out of nowhere, the role is no longer needed. Predrag and Molly talk about this from every perspective, in hopes of creating more compassion and understanding, and empowering people (including his two sons) to think entrepreneurially and better influence their destinies.

Then Rajendra raises a tough dynamic with a non-talkative colleague, with whom he really does need to talk in order to work together. He and Molly unpack this with her “Me—You—We” framework to help him consider what it’s like for this quiet mind. They talk about “vulnerability being a must for trust” and how Rajendra might extend the olive branch first to help his colleague be more open (17:30).

Lastly, just starting in her career (and debt-free out of college thanks to working all through school!), Michaela shares how she’s cranking on all cylinders and loves working in HR for a mechanical contractor. She opens up about a big life transition; she and her boyfriend are moving out of their parents’ homes and into their own place! And she’s keen to be proactive and make the transition positive all the way around. Michaela talks with Molly about how they communicate and the nice complement of their somewhat opposite styles. And while they’re career-oriented, focus on life outside of work has them quite balanced. Lots to learn and appreciate from #GenZ, including a quote that’s helping Michaela embrace change: Change is scary, but so is staying the same (31:00). Tune in for thought-provoking conversations—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Molly adds another thought for the week: Continuous improvement beats delayed perfection.
Please, be part of the solution and kindly share this. Let’s start the Say It Skillfully conversation for all—and amp up your own skillfulness with Molly’s free Mini Course here! https://bit.ly/3SgwLaS

In Episode 116, Molly is joined by Joel Press, who shares a heartwarming journey—struggles in learning as a kid to a storied 50+ year career as CPA and hedge fund pioneer! Joel grew up struggling in school—being held back, nearly put into special needs classes, kicked out… and only as an adult realized he had ADHD. He opens up about what it was like being called stupid and the long-lasting impacts of that being ingrained in him. Joel wasn’t always open about his ADHD, but has learned that sharing his story can be powerful for others. He believes, “if you expose your own weaknesses with others, it helps them recognize their own” and talks passionately of using his learnings and experience to mentor parents of children with learning disabilities. “Normal brains can’t understand an ADHD brain.” He encourages those with ADHD to trust their judgment and recognize how doing things differently than others is ok and to never doubt yourself. Joel attributes much of his success to lessons learned from his parents who, while not having formal higher education, were smart and taught him well. Working in his father’s seltzer water business, young Joel drove truck routes at 4:00 am, 6-days a week—work ethic never in question. As a high school senior, he was voted least likely to succeed. Believing in himself, Joel applied to college, but was told by a guidance counselor, “Don’t waste your time!” Joel and parents ended up convincing them to accept him,... ultimately, he graduated number two in his class in accounting! Joel’s career unfolded with a start in accounting, rising to partner and member of a top firm’s national management committee, then starting the Global Hedge Fund practice at Ernst & Young, and several entrepreneurial endeavors of his own. Don’t miss Joel recount his early years, known as a rebel rouser, and saying what he thought, not what he “should have”... helping him turn what could have been career-ending screw-ups into great “luck” (must hear 43:05). Though he’s met “every famous hedge fund person,” Joel’s groundedness and humility are front and center. “Doing the right thing is paramount, and integrity is everything” have kept him true to himself, even in tough times. And he’s open about being broke and his family life on the rocks, with divorce both the greatest tragedy and best thing that happened to him. Joel stresses the importance of “believing in yourself, knowing you’re going to make mistakes, listening to what other people have to say, and never looking back on a decision.” He talks about the meaning he finds in his mentoring and community work and also offers an inside look at the world of Wall Street, including thoughts on diversity. “Never smart enough to deviate from the truth” Joel speaks from the heart, as he only knows how—inspiring us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. More on Joel’s work today: https://pressmgmt.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 64, Dr. Mara Harvey, shares her journey to passionate advocate for gender financial equality and youth financial literacy. Her positive, blissful sense of money vanished overnight at age 10 with her parents’ divorce. Her incomeless mother, raising 2 daughters, modeled determination and belief that has served Mara well. She turned to the numbers to identify key factors with real consequences; e.g., a 10% pay gap can result in a 40% wealth gap (11:00). Mara shares how bias starts at home, and we discuss ways to close gender gaps. Then Aysha, an MD, calls in: without warning, she was suspended and later fired for moderating a student discussion on bias/racial health disparities (students supported Dr Khoury, 36:00). Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 12, Chairman & CEO of the WD-40 Company, Garry O. Ridge shares insights on creating and sustaining people-center cultures, and one that embraces say it skillfully and learning moments at all levels. Call in and ask Molly how to handle that conversation or specific situation you’ve been avoiding. Or you can email Molly from her host page (https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/3923/say-it-skillfully). Join the show for these topics and her live conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 166, 23-year old Carly Jump inspires all ages with a heart-warming journey of embracing the unknown, courage, faith, and perseverance. She reveals the power within to create a positive future. Growing up in Oklahoma, Carly is open about never feeling that she fit into the preppy, sports-oriented environment. Her art and creative interests were grounding but she knew she’d need to leave, saying “everyone needs to leave your hometown to find themselves.” She talks about what it was like for her at age 7 when her parents divorced and she had early struggles with mental health, including time in the hospital. Precocious and an avid student in elementary and middle school, by high school she was burned out. Summer art camps and baking with her mom and grandmothers turned out to be saviors for Carly in her youth and now career. With high school her biggest stressor, she took the last year online, while working at the local Walmart to save money she knew she’d be needing. Carly shares how her mom has always been her biggest role model—hardworking despite big challenges. Hear how Carly’s “summer daydreaming” led to her one-way ticket to NYC (and her mom’s brilliant response). The rest is a movie script. No job, a rented bunk bed in hostel-style airbnb, a random job as “counter girl” at a bakery, crying every night and talking to mom (who was firm, “stay in nyc”), rapidly promoted to manage her peers, Covid hits, owner unsure they’ll make it, Carly’s relationship with a kid customer who had VC parents saves the day. Carly made partner and Funny Face Bakery now has two flagship stores, an e-commerce operation and a B2B division. Uniquely combining art and baking, they are known as America’s first “pop culture bakery”. They are a hit with celebrities and everyone else for the spirit of generosity and connection their delectable cookies stand for (treat yourself! #foodinsider name them #1 choc chip cookie in NYC). Carly shares her (meteoric) business education on the job. Her and Molly talk about self-doubt, being a people pleaser, setting boundaries, hiring great people and self-compassion. Don’t miss the joyful sense of possibility, humility and purpose Carly exudes! She inspires us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be seen, heard and understood, and our true and best selves.

Thought for the week (Thank you Carly): You don’t need to hide your struggles. Take the leap!

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 117 is the 21st monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. In hearing the life journeys of people you might not otherwise encounter, listeners gain empathetic understanding for what may be a very different experience of what it means to grow up, go to school, struggle, work and live in our world. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. In this episode, we are given a front row seat to the journey of Molly’s friend Peter Tavernise, whose tiger-like courage and self-assuredness inspires. Peter grew up a “military brat”, learning early the importance of serving others from his Air Force father and mother, who taught underprivileged students, some in extreme poverty. After college, Peter saw the possibilities of the Internet for nonprofits. Joining the “Circuit Riders” volunteer brigade, he introduced the Internet to many nonprofit executive directors from Florida to Chicago. He found his dream job at Cisco to literally “transform the nonprofit sector through the use of the internet.” He shares the best and worst as Executive Director of the Cisco Foundation from creating engaging math games for kids and creating Covid internet solutions to reconnecting regions after natural disasters. Peter opens up about the decline of his health—years of symptom after symptom cascading in—all the while test results not showing what exactly was wrong. After a former marine said, “You look like a prisoner of war,” he began to work from home. Peter was suffering and “begging the universe for just 5 minutes a week where I didn’t feel like I was going to die.” After 7 years and 32 different health professionals, one doctor finally cracked the code, and so began his road to recovery. Hear how he went from catastrophizing everything—fixated on relentless pain—to resilience, the power of somatics and invaluable life lessons. A few gems:
If you can’t change your circumstances, you must change who and how you are within them
When discouraged, encourage others
It’s important to have an answer to “what’s next?”
Like a plant needs water, sunlight and soil; people need safety, belonging and dignity
Treat yourself as you would anyone else you care deeply about
Peter’s past has indeed served its purpose; he inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to safety, belonging and dignity, so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week— Peter:
May I be well, may I be healthy, may all beings be well, may all beings be healthy.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 65, Zaza Pachulia, whose 20-year career included 6 NBA teams and 2 Championships with the Warriors, opens up about starting in former Soviet Union in tough times—no jobs, no electricity, standing in bread lines. He recalls his Mom's role in picking basketball. His joy became his passion, then obsession. He shares poignantly the exuberance in his breakthrough at age 14—invited to play in Istanbul—then the devastating passing of his Dad. Discipline, work ethic and embracing challenge laid the foundation to be lucky so that his sport could be his life. Zaza’s groundedness and appreciation for his roots are only rivaled by his zeal to fulfill new dreams—raising 4 kids, building businesses—to inspire and help others. Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 13, Molly’s 1st caller, Gary, disappointed by a friend letting him down, asked how to handle this. Nancy, typically the caregiver for everyone else when times are tough, inquired about how to give herself space to grieve over the passing of a friend as others count on her. And Matt raised his challenge of influencing management to support him in a new role, when he’s viewed as essential to his current one. Molly then offered a way to handle the “always on” colleague that Garry Ridge raised last week. She also addressed a question on how to respond to performance review input that you really don’t agree with, and shared how SuperBowl MVP Pat Mahomes communicates skillfully. Tune in to the show for these topics and her conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 167 is the 33rd monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly is joined by Ezekiel Andrew, an amazing human being and performing artist who has sung in operas and operettas, performed in musical theater productions, and acted in plays including his Broadway debut in 2021. Ezekiel shares what it was like for him growing up as an “artsy kid”; singing in a choir, playing in a marching band, always loving drawing and painting. He talks about how his gospel-singing father was a huge inspiration to his musical career, and shares the story of his first real audition in early high school, as well as how he was blown away by hearing a live opera voice from his 1st voice teacher. Then, Ezekiel opens up about his dark years in Cincinnati where he fell on his face over and over again. Don’t miss how he powered through tough times of failure, financial hardship, and not finding a role by embracing fear and moving forward, refusing to stop. Eventually, Ezekiel found success in a big way after years and years of honing and polishing his craft; he secured multiple theatrical roles including his Broadway debut acting in “The Lion King”, where he acted alongside the same “Mufasa” actor he was inspired by way back in 2008! Molly’s thought for the week: Embrace fear while moving forward, do not stop.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 118, Tulio shows courage in calling in even though English is not his native language (bravo, Tulio!). He shares a job that started well, but sadly didn’t stay that way. While not pleasant, the lesson was clear: a trusted manager/employee relationship is key. Next, Cyrill is keen for how to get out of the uncomfortable situation of feeling stuck on calls, wanting to stop someone from going on and on. How to finesse this (8:15)? Then, Claire has both excitement and trepidation about considering retirement and creating what exactly to retire to. Claire and Molly have a lively conversation about how to think about this…from personal passion and the role “work” has played for her for decades, to making the most of her skills and experience, staying relevant and making a positive difference (20:20). Finally, Molly shares a helpful post she found on what you can say when someone is grieving, and shared examples, including: “I’m here if you want to vent, or just to listen.” “Is there anything I could do to make your life easier right now?” (the.holistic.psychologist)
My Thought for the Week:
Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity —Simone Weil. More ways to help you #sayitskillfully!

• Here’s how to create that job-sharing win-win! http://bit.ly/3rITn77
• Self-confidence starts with you! http://bit.ly/2NyZxHN
• • All my videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive, productive manner. In Episode 66, 9th feature of OUR VOICES, Molly’s friend and top healthcare venture capitalist Nisa Leung shares her vivid journey across continents. Time in the US helped her mindset blossom; an unexpected and life-changing MBA experience culminated in a market crash—half her class couldn’t find jobs; 50% of friends in VC lost theirs. Before healthcare investing was vogue—Nisa saw China’s underserved market. Asked to set-up Qiming’s healthcare practice she led the firm to invest in 130 companies…vaccines, diagnostics, drugs to HC IT. She reveals intense commitment & collaboration of her companies on Covid front lines, thoughts on why China’s VC playing field is more gender-level and her aspirations ahead. Nisa inspires us to know no boundaries and models the best way to help others is to help them to succeed.

Say It Skillfully® helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive & productive manner. In Episode 14, special guest Kris Maynard shares his journey to sell his company, Essential Ingredients, to all employees, and pursue creating a company to last 100 years. Hear about EI's purpose-driven and people-first culture. My 1st caller Justin brought up balancing your well-being & achieving high performance, and also shared his own career transition/re-branding from academic research to executive coaching (16:45). Fahad, who’s been trying to raise funding from investors asked how to gain feedback to help him improve his pitch (25:35). Sander, whose first language isn’t English asked how to skillfully jump in during meetings when people aren’t on the same page. Lastly May asked about bringing much needed mindfulness & compassion into the workplace (39:45). Join in and learn to navigate work while being true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 168, Molly is joined by Kevin Koch, CEO of Koch Enterprises, Inc., who gives an inside look at running a family-owned business that has successfully served customers for 150 years! Kevin shares his story, starting from his early days in school and working jobs such as paperboy and lifeguard. He talks about how he was never overtly asked to join the family business, and always planned to “spread his wings” after college. Kevin talks about his college days at Notre Dame where he studied engineering and describes the unexpected adversity he faced when he first arrived. He goes on to talk about how, after graduating, he learned to work as an engineer for Westinghouse before going to grad school and working at Ford Motor Company and EDF. Kevin shares insights from his early career days, including experience gained in engineering, brand management and purchasing. Not deciding to join the family business until age 33, Kevin shares what influenced him to make the move, and goes in depth on the company’s family hiring policy, which made sure that no “free rides” were given to family members. He opens up about working past the stigma of “owner’s son” and what he had to do to prove himself to his peers. Don’t miss the good, bad & ugly of running a family business for the long haul, insights gained along the way, and Kevin’s biggest regrets and accomplishments from his journey. He inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week (Thank you Kevin): “Shared sacrifice helps us come through stronger.”
Learn more about Koch Enterprises here: https://www.kochenterprises.com/

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 119, Molly is joined by Beth Porter, who has become a creator of some of the highest quality tech-enabled learning experiences for people around the world. Beth describes what it was like growing up “small but mighty” with a tall personality in a short body as well as having a love for academics AND athletics—jock meets geek! Her early confidence stayed with her, enabling her to go from wide-eyed college student with passion for learning and teaching, to CEO who’s done pioneering research and led product and engineering teams; she developed a digital learning software used by more than 55 million people worldwide. Beth shares valuable lessons from her early career including the importance of taking time for yourself and valuing that each person is special. Beth is no stranger to adversity, don’t miss out on hearing how she remained stalwart in the face of unavoidable self-doubt, nearly going out of business and mastering the art of learning through failure. And, hear her thoughts on having to work in a “man’s world” for certain companies, as well as female entrepreneurs being funding-challenged in starting their business relative to men. Don’t miss hearing her story unvarnished. Beth inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action, so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and be our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week—words from the Indian sage, Poonjaji: Stop. Stop everything. Then you will realize you are the freedom you have been searching for. Learn more about how Beth is transforming how we learn at: https://esmelearning.com. #sayitskillfully resources for you! * Questionable ethics? Here’s how you can lead and be part of the solution http://bit.ly/3a53gW7 * All my videos by category: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 67, CV shares a situation in which several team members blatantly won’t follow her direction, although they used to when her boss (who was white) was in place. Racism? How to handle? Next, Jan calls in for a lively conversation, including how to be the voice when a change program may risk losing what worked in the past (15:25). Check out Jan’s amazing videos—consider “how much am I being me at work?” (https://bit.ly/2LYqjIW). Among his gems, “Failure is unfinished success”, “A good leader is produced at age 3.” He shares how he & his boss formed a strong relationship (31:00). Thought for the week, inspired by John Chambers: If it’s getting tough, don’t go down alone—get help. We lose together—we win together. Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 15 Molly’s 1st caller, Alyssa, wanted to “break up with a friend” and asked about how to handle ending, or perhaps preserving this relationship. Jerry called on the topic of kids going to college, taking large loans, and navigating tight job markets – how can they gain entrepreneurial skills (12:15)? Tony, a coach, asked about getting folks to speak up at work and be inspired to use their voice (26:45). Finally Terry, also a coach, inquired about handling a new client, a leader whose heels seemed dug in and very resistant to change (41:30)! Tune into this show and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 169 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. Her first caller, Griet, who works in Belgium, shares some of the not-so-subtle differences that she’s encountered with teams across cultures. She talks about nuances even across her small country and vastly different meanings of being “polite. They discuss how teams can proactively create transparency of “differences” and use these as a strength (and create happier work environments). Next, Maha is open about the struggles of her clients, who are not so familiar with American culture and business norms. Feeling misunderstood by co-workers can result in pain none of us would want. Having worked in the Middle East and Canada before the U.S., she’s empathetic about adjusting and finding ways to fit in. From the standpoint of the employee, boss and teammate, they highlight ways for all to be “part of the solution”, and how essential it is that we all take responsibility—to the benefit of individuals and organizations alike (20:35)! Then, Deanne recounts these past years with Covid and a poignant journey of supporting her mother with dementia in a nursing home through unbearably difficult times. She opens up about the depth of despair and not fully appreciating just how difficult the experience was on her—a far more negative impact than she realized at the time. With compassion, she shares her struggles and what it took to indeed forgive others and herself, and to heal (39:30). Finally, Molly responds to a request about how to talk to a manager about self-care boundaries and excessive travel for work that’s draining and unsustainable (52:25). Don’t miss these moving conversations—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: I am the me I choose to be. —Sidney Poitier

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Branding and culture expert Martin Lindstrom masterfully brings you on his remarkable journey—childhood LEGOmania, a lawsuit before he was a teen, starting/selling an ad agency.

He shares learning the hard way with eureka moments of corporate politics at 18 and “Merry Christmas” emails—helping him internalize deep empathy, which has been instrumental to his success, and what he sees as an enormous need in organizations everywhere.

After Molly's chat with Martin, Vince, weeks into a new job, calls about how to respond to his boss, seemingly not pleased with his performance. (38:45)

Then, Virginia recalls a leader publicly bullying a teammate and wonders if with a different response, she might not have faced the retribution she did (46:25).

Join the show and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 16, Molly’s 1st caller Jennifer—several years into her job in financial services—asked about “managing up... how to provide feedback to people in more senior positions. Scott inquired about a past experience with an African nonprofit and navigating tricky culture and ethical waters (16:30). Gail was keen to beat the “bad habit” of people failing to respond to emails and needing to nag (31:30)! Finally, Bill was upfront about how decisions on layoffs aren’t as well informed as one might hope, and shared how he successfully took a very different tact (40:00). Molly shared thoughts on Arianna Huffington’s NYT piece, “How to Give Compassionate Feedback While Still Being Constructive” (2/24/20). Join the show for these topics and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 170 features the amazing writer, PR expert, and author Michael Levine. Michael joins the show for a short conversation about how he grew his PR firm, founded on a tiny borrowed desk in a hair salon, to become legendary in the media world, representing 58 Academy Award winners, 34 Grammy winners, and 43 New York Times Best Sellers. He shares what it took to succeed, top learnings from his journey (including that difficult conversations are needed as the only ones we truly grow in), his regrets, and what makes for a great story. Don’t miss insights from a man deemed the “Michael Jordan of entertainment P.R.” from an over 40 year career at the top of his field that’s still going strong. Next, Jim calls in and brilliantly encapsulates what Michael shared in “one word”: discipline! Then, as a baby boomer, he shares a big struggle that he has connecting with the “GenXYZers.” Chuckle at how his over-caffeination got the better of him, and on a serious note how he learned the hard way the imperative of engendering trust. (23:50) Then Heidi, a breast cancer survivor who dedicates all her free time to patient advocacy, shares her conundrum of companies sponsoring panels for cancer awareness and education where everyone is compensated with travel and stipends, except the “patient advocates” (who frequently add the most value to patients and their families!). Hear ways to turn the tables as we cover options for people like Heidi to advocate for themselves. (41:25) Molly’s thought for the week: The fierce urgency of necessity can drive greatness.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 120 is the 22nd monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Entrepreneur Jerome Myers, renowned for making real estate investing look easy, joins Molly for a heartfelt account of his ups and downs. Son of a soldier and stay-at-home mom, Jerome grew up in a diverse setting of North Caroline and credits his parents (likely intentionally) for never talking of race—enabling him to never feel “disqualified”. He went from basketball to baseball to tae kwon do, enjoying academics and cultivating an identity as one involved in everything! He shares how one mentor, Mr. Blackwell, insisted Jerome be in the school’s academically gifted program, in one fell swoop changing his life trajectory. Jerome is open with the disappointment in those who “looked like me” not stepping up to support him like this “white guy” did, and how this fueled his passion to “make people think it’s possible!” He notes the shock of hearing his father talk about racism, and appreciates the constant messaging he’s received to “be the best you can be, remove race from the conversation and do all that you can.” He encourages: “embrace who you are, be with those who accept you, focus on what you can change and control…you are wonderfully made!” Jerome delves into what led to being a “corporate dropout, including the crushing blow when told he had to lay off his team that had delivered on $20 million of new business. Hear his growth from “they made me do it” to embracing the agency he had and committing to no longer be part of the problem. Jerome shares poignantly his journey through marriage, divorce and parenting his two beloved daughters. “All relationships end... by choice or circumstance. Tune in to hear Jerome being authentic, genuine and loving... inspiring all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. #sayitskillfully Resources:

• Here’s how you create space for the quietest voices to share their valuable input https://bit.ly/3hJfV2p
• All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive & productive manner. In Episode 69, 10th feature of OUR VOICES, Molly’s childhood friend and CEO of world-class branding agency Turner Duckworth, Joanne Chan, recounts growing up in upstate NY, the lone Asian until high school...wanting to fit in, even attending Hebrew school! Supportive parents had high expectations, but were clear: do what you love. Her art gallery dream job meant living in debt and compelled a career change. Thanks to an amazing mentor’s advice, Joanne joined Turner Duckworth as employee #2, working her way to CEO and building a culture for creativity to thrive. She shares her focus on sustaining culture as Publicis acquired them and credits her husband for being lead parent—enabling her career and their daughter’s growth. Joanne shares a profound early-in-career learning moment and urges “stand together, be our best selves and keep marching forward.” Molly’s thought for the week: Your relationship—with yourself and others—makes or breaks your success. Listen in as Joanne inspires us to “do what makes us happy,” to know no boundaries, and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 17, Robert Glazer, founder & CEO of Acceleration Partners, a global partner marketing agency, shared how growing culture has led to the company’s growth, and core to this is holistically supporting each individual’s growth. Molly’s first caller, Mary, inquired about managing volunteers, and how to have a conversation when delegating work isn’t someone’s forte (20:00). Kate presented a tough situation where management allows a high performer to play by a different set of rules… how to maintain people’s motivation where the inequity isn’t subtle (33:30)? And Molly’s thought for the week: being grateful. A simple gratitude journal has been a powerfully positive habit. Join the show for these topics and her live conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 171 is the 34th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. In this episode, Molly is joined by Rima Assiryani, who shares a childhood unlike most of ours, growing up as a Christian in Jordan, a predominantly Muslim country. She shares how this affected her mentality and day to day life. Then, she goes in depth on her education and early career as an architect, noting that she was very unsure of herself at first, and describes the process of gaining trust in her skillset and work ethic—building the confidence she needed to go further in her career and work in the States. Having immigrated to the U.S. from Jordan in 2001, Rima talks us through the process of integrating into a new culture, and praises the community she moved to for being accepting and diverse. She also lets us in on the good, the bad, and the ugly of of raising a multicultural family while working as an architect. Rima inspires all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week: Embrace failing as essential to learning… FAIL = First Attempt In Learning

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 121, Molly is joined by David Shrier, who shares an epic journey of embracing creative chaos. Growing up, the message he heard was “fit in” and “specialize”; he was drawn to anything but. A wannabe marine biologist, studying theater arts and neuroscience, he was drawn to creating community-bonding experiences. While stubbornness can be a vice, David harnessed it as a virtue in the workplace. At GE-owned NBC, he stubbornly resisted naysayers and outperformed everyone else in the group by 500%; then, quickly learned how key it is to bring others along to avoid “immune response” to innovation! He shares a stint in NYC, interning (as in “clipboard holder”) for the director of RENT, where he got a taste of working graveyard shifts for no money. David was keen to “do art and make money.” He found the latter on Wall Street and honed his business and financial acumen. Bouncing around for 20 years in things he didn’t like so much, David is open that he really had no plan, until age 40, when he did, and re-booted with a job at MIT—a new beginning. Don’t miss David’s vivid account of making change happen. He translates academic theory into business practice and applies technology to solve big problems at scale in business and society. Join David and Molly to learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Molly's thought for the week, courtesy of David:
People don’t buy technologies, they buy solutions to problems, so make sure you’re solving a problem.

More on David DavidShrier.com
#sayskillfully resources for you:

• Own your mistakes (and grow….) https://bit.ly/2X39S0D
• All my videos by category here https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive & productive manner. Molly’s first caller, Keishla, is keen to succeed in change management and engage her entire team: “leapers, road builders and tradition holders” alike. Then, Heidi had three different friends reach out to her... on their behalf we unpack how to return after a medical leave, to not be caught as a “go-between” when some wants you to relay information to another, and to call out gossip in a constructive way (20:45). I then cover two situations: 1) someone caught between 80-hour work weeks and having a life with his young family, and 2) being self-confident to go for a promotion and knowing how to be lucky (38:30)! Molly closes with a Harry Palmer’s Avatar compassion exercise and urges you to take a few minutes to experience this ???? (45:40).

Molly’s thought for the week – Thank you Seth Godin!
We have the power (and perhaps the obligation) to use shared knowledge to make better, more thoughtful decisions. And to intentionally edit out the manipulations and falsehoods that are designed to spread, not to improve our lives.

Join the show and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive & productive manner. In Episode 18, Alan Mulally shared his secrets to getting hundreds of thousands of people “Working Together”, which incidentally helped his family’s success! Caroline, early in her career, was keen to push back on managers who’ve been saying, “just deal with it, roll over and apologize” when she wasn’t at fault (22:45). David asked about how to tactfully help friends who constantly talk about feeling low energy & burnout, yet don’t seem to do anything about it (35:15). Finally, Stever raised a sensitive situation of a friend asking to write a review for a book that he wasn’t comfortable being associated with (42:30). Finally, my thought of the week, learned from Alan: “Love ‘em up” (if you need ideas: http://bit.ly/39TEOER). Join the show and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 172 features rapper, record executive, film & television producer, screenwriter and author Alonzo Brown. Growing up in Harlem during a time when New York was in turmoil, with a Father who died when he was 12, Alonzo shares the story of his early days. The poor conditions, crime, and pain of Harlem were hard for most to cope with. Alonzo opens up that the only things getting him by were the love and sternness of his mother, the escape he found in music, and his aspirations for the future. He would gaze out at the skyscrapers he could see from Harlem, dreaming of “living up there one day.” Alonzo gives us the full origin story of his pioneer rap group, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, skipping class to write songs, rehearsing in his Mother’s living room and performing at local community centers. Don’t miss stories from his later days as a rapper and from some of his other ventures in what seems like every corner of the entertainment industry. The show wraps up with Alonzo sharing a piece summarizing his thoughts on overcoming, not stowing, “the black experience” of growing up facing struggle and violence, living in the ghetto, and what it means to find a way out without losing who you truly are. Alonzo inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week: “I don’t know what success is, I’m too busy working at it.”

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 122, Molly is joined by Jim, who shares that the results of a recent employee survey don’t fully jive with what he’s heard from his team. He’s keen to understand the disconnects. How to handle this so that people really tell him what they’re thinking? They cover the power of walking in others’ shoes, and what it means to lead. Next, Adriana is project managing a move of the entire company to a new facility, along with a new phase of people coming back to the office. She’s keen to enroll people in driving change and feeling empowered. Adriana and Molly discuss the criticality of clear messaging on why being in the office is a good thing and the power of transparency in project managing the move (21:00). Finally, Vanessa is in an exciting next career phase... building on her cleantech experience and moving to a new area, ESG, and as a manager. Well aware that team members have expertise and experience that she needs to learn from, she’s keen to make a strong first impression, build trust with the team and come across as a strong leader. They talk about the role of vulnerability and her interest in being likeable as well as admired (36:45). Don’t miss these lively conversations that help you with how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s Thought for the Week, from marketing guru Seth Godin: “The roads not seen almost always matter more than the potholes we hit along the way.”

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive & productive manner. In Episode 71 Molly’s first caller, Adam, is starting out with a new organization and team; he wants to get started in the right way, especially as lots of change is in the air. Then Jon, who leads an amazing non-profit organization that helps people rehabilitate after serious health issues, has stakeholders all over the globe and is keen to instill a “say it skillfully” culture. As they’ve been onboarding many new folks, it’s top of mind for him that everyone communicates openly and productively, regardless of tenure, introvert or extrovert...(15:50). And Nayantara is inspired by how we can emerge better from the pandemic; we chat about having actionable conversations around equity (40:50).
Molly’s Thought for the Week—what she wishes for all: “Finding your voice, one that is effective and authentic to you, is how you can be who you are and say what needs to be said.” (from her TEDx talk, https://bit.ly/3nlZ7kG) Tune in AND learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 19, Forbes 30 under 30 & BBC 100 Most Inspiring Woman, Betsy Fore shared her entrepreneurial journey. Her latest company, Tiny Organics, helps babies eat smart from the smart and develop a lifelong positive relationship with food. Molly’s 1st caller, Sophia asked how to navigate when an executive wanted her to give feedback to a peer (23:30). Then Jim, a baby boomer, wanted advice on leading a multi-generational team and creating team dynamics for both individual and collective success (34:15). I addressed a couple questions from LinkedIn followers as well (45:15). Lastly, inspired by Betsy, my thought for the week: If you can dream it you can build it. Empower those with “hustle heart” and make those dreams come true. Tune in and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 173, Molly is joined by Lori Shemek, a leading fat cell researcher, health and weight loss expert, keynote speaker and award-winning author. As the two time “#1 Global Health Influencer” and a pioneer in inflammation awareness, Lori has a plethora of knowledge to share on how to feel good, mentally and physically. Don’t miss tips from one of the world’s leading health, fitness and diet experts on how we can change our diet and habits to change our life. Lori inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 123, Molly is joined by Kristen O’Leary, who inspires us to #ChooseKind and empower all children to thrive academically, spiritually, emotionally, and socially. Kristen models the courage she ignites in her students, though she never thought she’d be in education! Born and bred in Yonkers, NY, she recalls being bullied as the “odd man out”, though that taught Kristen to have the backbone to stick up for herself. While loving her college studies in theatrical/stage design, she realized it wouldn’t be a fulfilling career path. An innocent question from friends was all it took to open an unexpected door in the field of education for this 19-year-old. Kristen fell in love with teaching kids and talks about how her field work was critical to her studies. Thanks to her aunt, a chance internship at a school for the deaf led to a turning point. As she delved into special education, Kristen was moved by being immersed in the day-to-day struggles—part of a child and their family’s personal journey—and called by the opportunity to help and in many cases change the trajectory of people’s lives. Kristen is open about integrating married life and being a mom... the reality of daycare being way more expensive in the real world! Working part-time was their solution and created the path to her now dream job. Learn how her faith, community and early start in theater provided the foundation for Kristen to find her passion to help every child meet his or her potential. She offers thoughts for parents to best support their children, including not berating yourself for wishing you did something sooner or differently! And she encourages compassion in all, “we have no idea of what’s gone on for that person this morning.” Hear what she wishes for her own 17-year-old son, and don’t miss the many nuggets about leading oneself to choose kind, succeed on your terms and be the change you want to see in the world.

Learn more about the amazing John Cardinal O’Connor School, dedicated to children with learning differences: https://johncardinaloconnorschool.org

Resources to help you #sayskillfully:

• Honoring a Dissenting Opinion https://bit.ly/2X39S0D
• All Molly’s videos by category here https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 72 Molly’s first caller Ryan opens vulnerably by acknowledging his “bubble” of white, male privilege. Feeling disappointment and shame for events of the past 18 months, he’s keen to be a part of the solution. Jane then shares how she felt asleep at the wheel, witnessing a newly acquainted Caucasian, male professional—who should know better—say to an early-in-career Asian woman at his company, “I don’t understand how your Asian boyfriend doesn’t have an accent, but you do. We need to fix that.” How to respond in the moment? And Molly helps Jane, Asian as well, unpack her own feelings (10:30). Then Jason calls in with mixed experiences on diversity in corporate America. While optimistic, he’s seen firsthand the negative impact when transparency is lacking and senior leaders are left off the hook for poor behavior. They also discuss ways employees and managers can help all to feel safe, seen and heard (22:45).
Thought for the week: “Learn to calm down the winds of your mind, and you will enjoy great inner peace”
– Remez Sasson (52:30). Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 72 Molly’s first caller Ryan opens vulnerably by acknowledging his “bubble” of white, male privilege. Feeling disappointment and shame for events of the past 18 months, he’s keen to be a part of the solution. Jane then shares how she felt asleep at the wheel, witnessing a newly acquainted Caucasian, male professional—who should know better—say to an early-in-career Asian woman at his company, “I don’t understand how your Asian boyfriend doesn’t have an accent, but you do. We need to fix that.” How to respond in the moment? And Molly helps Jane, Asian as well, unpack her own feelings (10:30). Then Jason calls in with mixed experiences on diversity in corporate America. While optimistic, he’s seen firsthand the negative impact when transparency is lacking and senior leaders are left off the hook for poor behavior. They also discuss ways employees and managers can help all to feel safe, seen and heard (22:45).
Thought for the week: “Learn to calm down the winds of your mind, and you will enjoy great inner peace”
– Remez Sasson (52:30). Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 20, Molly's 1st caller, from Italy, shared an early learning of always creating a positive interaction—even with someone he may never see again—and asked about how to be complimentary, but not too much so. Tom called interested in how to keep his emotions in check when handling adversarial situations in meetings. (18:30). Next, Christy asked about a sensitive conversation with her husband when they don’t quite see eye-to-eye on how safe it is to travel in these COVID-19 times (31:15). Then a recent new hire, Hailey, was keen on how she could approach her manager to take on more responsibility, now that more senior folks had unexpectedly departed the firm (38:00). Join the show and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 174, Molly takes calls from professionals about challenges they face in the workplace. Molly's first caller, Annalisa, opens up about coming to grips with long-time struggles at work that led her to doubt her abilities and self-worth. She shares the benefit of therapy to help her understand and move beyond the gaslighting and work trauma she experienced. Fortunately now in a very supportive environment, she still finds herself hesitant to “give herself credit”. We talk about how she can overcome this old habit! Next, Jim raises the topic of “curiosity” and how being curious can be a superpower both in our professional and personal lives. Jim and Molly talk about the imperative of being genuine when doing so, so that the other feels you’re coming from a place being being truly open. Don’t miss how Jim’s curiosity led to the extraordinary opportunity for him to be a kidney donor for a neighbor, literally transforming a life. (24:05) Finally, Anastasiia shares poignantly of her journey as an immigrant. She shines a light on the challenges of moving from country to country and the feelings of loneliness, being misunderstood and not fitting in. She’s keen to stay kind and be a loving human, while also creating waves of change to better support immigrants so that we embrace our cultural differences, learn from each other and live well together. (40:10) Don’t miss these inspiring conversations—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly's thought for the week: The unexpected pleasure in witnessing another’s happiness: Mudita—Buddhist word for vicarious joy

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 124, Molly has a lively conversation with Ryan Berman, who inspires us to “fear more”! Don’t miss this incredible journey and many gems that help us choose courage and succeed on our terms. With gratitude, Ryan acknowledges his lucky start. He grew up with supportive parents in a “very safe bubble” with a big brother showing him what NOT to do! ;-) Innately competitive, he was driven to play many sports, though always with a smile. He shares the game changing experience of his youth, along with his childhood demon: the label of “being good with people.” He’s open about internalizing this as “I’m the dumb one” and taking a decade to finally let that go. The unintended benefit was his obsession to outwork everyone. A tv/radio major in college, Ryan talks fondly of his chance opening to pursue his love of creativity in New York City and the “madmen” era of advertising (have a chuckle at his first foray at “jingles”). He’s confident that “our jobs pick us!” A self-proclaimed “compensated observationalist,” he encourages hearing what’s NOT said. Much to learn from his perseverance and patience! Ryan shares undertaking his book and the realization in hindsight that he needed the book! And he notes how his different experiences have all contributed to his ability and success in founding Courageous, a change consultancy that helps companies operationalize courage. Ryan shares his “put it all on the line” moment as he took a leap to start anew—embracing “fear more” (not a fan of the term “fearless”). Ryan and Molly also cover his focus on “believership vs. leadership” and the distinction between resilience as a response to change and courage, to proactively drive it. Ryan’s antidote to the great resignation involves clarity, conviction and a great story. There’s much to digest personally and professionally in this episode. Join this master storyteller and hear his—you’ll appreciate his mantras: “Courageous ideas are the only ones that matter.” “Mistake it ‘til you make it.” Learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: “Don’t just look at the world differently, do the world differently.” —Ryan Berman. Choose #Courage! The Book: Return on Courage http://www.returnoncourage.com/ The Podcast: Courageous Podcast https://lnkd.in/dYXsXvv The Company: Courageous http://www.couragebrands.com/ Your Challenge: Are You Courageous? https://vimeo.com/417691766
Resources to help you #sayitskillfully

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 73, the 11th feature of OUR VOICES, Chris Yeh—author, investor, speaker and mentor—shares his journey as a first generation born in the US after his parents were exiled from mainland China. Precocious, extroverted and audience-seeking, he recalls his anti-Tiger Mom and pivotal early mentor Harold Connolly, who won Olympic Gold despite being disabled. Product design engineering and creative writing majors at Stanford (along with improv, peer counseling, public speaking) led to a fascinating job search, including a D.E. Shaw “mystery letter” and 1st class flight (unthinkable). Luck was a theme; he stresses preparation is key. He notes the role of his competitive spirit and confronting reality: you can have it all, but not at the same time. With two young kids, he put family first and left all-consuming CEO life. He discusses his and Reid Hoffman’s interest to explore and impact the world and how friends helped him gain self-awareness and empathy. He now thinks it vital to take on others’ viewpoints and overcome racism. Other gems: “Take control of your own narrative” and “Don’t get caught up with job title labels.” Thought for the week: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” —Suzuki Roshi. Join the show to hear Chris’ journey, inspiring us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. Learn more at https://chrisyeh.com and books Chris has co-authored:
https://www.blitzscaling.com
http://www.theallianceframework.com

And his beloved high school vice principal and mentor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Connolly

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 21 Molly shared learnings, including “compassionate directness,” from Arianna Huffington’s 3/30 newsletter and a new Thrive Global study: Thriving in the New Normal. Her 1st caller, Nicholas, a consultant, needed to approach a key senior exec who sends nasty, company-wide emails to admonish people. Then Rafael asked how to provide tough feedback to a valued, high potential colleague, who he thinks will be blind-sided by how mgt perceives her (27:30). Molly shared negotiation expert Chris Voss’ strategy to save deals falling apart in Covid-19 times (44:15). Lastly & most importantly, please donate - show your gratitude to 1st responders: 1strcf.org and #firstrespondersfirst. Tune in for these topics and her conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 175 is the 35th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. In this episode, Molly is joined by the inspiring Cordell Carter. Cordell is a speaker and board advisor who brings more than 20 years to his pursuit of a society in which everyone truly belongs. He curates over 3 dozen leadership seminars each year, spreading his knowledge to thousands of leaders. He joins the show to share his story, from a religious childhood to becoming a champion for change in many fields. Don’t miss Cordell’s valuable thoughts on belonging, leveraging technology for greater impact and what leaders can do to lead more effectively. He inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thoughts for the week: “Practice makes you better.” & “The best revenge is living well.”

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 125 is the 23rd monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly is joined by Dynamo mother-son duo, Ngozi and Okezue Bell, who share their journeys and learnings across continents and generations. Creating possibility never gets old! Born during civil war, growing up in Nigeria a very sick child, Ngozi had a mom and grandma filled with faith that she’d make it. Both parents were focused on education, but it was her chemist mom who declared, “Go do physics. As a woman you’ll have a chance to work in pioneering science.” Doing just that, Ngozi studied engineering and then went to Bell Labs/AT&T Electronics, was an appointee for America’s first Black President, and managed over $1B in revenue. She attributes opening that first door to tenacious hard work, saying, “I promise—if you give me the opportunity, I’ll be the hardest working person.” Growing up in Pennsylvania, youngest of four, Okezue talks of his unsurprising focus on academics as part of his early identity. Hear how a 6th grade lab dissecting frogs exposed him to science beyond the empirical and was a game changer. He’s honest about a teacher who told him “you won’t last in math and computer science.” Okezue decided to prove him wrong, fueling his go-getter spirit. Recently being 1 of 80 in the world selected as a Research Institute Scholar at MIT is just one of many achievements… Okezue shares his experiences with stereotypes and personal mission to integrate the next gen into STEM & technology, in ethical & responsible ways. He offers what he’s learned from both his parents, laughs about his “only-child vibes” and cherishes his sibling relationships. Career-wise, Ngozi became one of the very few females in a rarefied space. She reflects that organizations really weren’t looking to embrace diversity, but rather wanted a “diverse person.” She’s open about mistakes made, and wishes she had endeavored to bring about change in a different way. They’ll continue this in a future episode! Tune in to hear what mother and son appreciate most about one another. Celebrate their kinship and connection, and hear the wisdom, confidence and commitment of youth front and center! Molly’s thought for the week—Thank you Ngozi & Okezue! Go with the flow. #sayitskillfully Resources: * Take advantage of the wisdom of youth—you won’t regret it http://bit.ly/2s0P0KM * All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. This Episode is Molly’s #1 “growth” episode for you. If you’ve had self-doubt, if you’ve been confused about what’s next… if you’re a parent, please have a listen (perhaps with your kids)—without judgment and with compassion. She hopes you’ll be a better you for doing so. Molly’s guest is Noah Fense, hip hop artist, entrepreneur, event curator, and founder of Foresee—a music and arts collective label (4C: Conscious Conduits Constantly Connected). He shares his journey; one that is simultaneously sobering, humbling and enlightening. After years of suffering from drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness, low self-confidence and legal issues, Noah rediscovered himself at his lowest and realized the unlimited potential that we all possess within. His spiritual awakening led to a complete transformation as he met the essence of his true self.

“Calculated rhymes, carefully spiced and layered with thought-provoking word play, emotional concepts and storytelling, multisyllabic rhyme schemes, ill punchlines, hard bars and deep metaphors...” Noah now creates music with the intention to uplift and drops gems that if caught, can transform the listener into something greater than who they believed themselves to be. As he fulfills his potential, Noah inspires others to realize theirs. This episode will help you reconsider the meaning you give to life. Tune in and learn how to navigate life while being invaluable and true to yourself. More at www.noahfense.com and follow Noah on IG:@noahfensemusic and FB: @noahfensebeers.
Molly’s Thought for the Week, from a Taoist parable: “Who knows what is good and what is bad.”

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 22, Molly’s 1st caller Jilly, a 4th grade teacher asked about effectively giving feedback, so that both a student and their parents better receive it. Darren, from Sydney, was keen for ways to help his leadership team adapt to working virtually in these Covid-19 times, and best support one another and their whole group (9:40). Jim, who leads a salesforce, discussed the balancing act of compassion and empathy for customers with the need to also sell (27:40). Molly responded to 2 LinkedIn questions (35:20). Lastly, from Cairo, Ahmed wanted to handle his frustration when different generations on his team have different perceptions of good work ethic (41:15). Tune in & learn to navigate work while being invaluable & true to yourself. “Knowing others is knowledge, knowing yourself is wisdom.” –Lao Tzu

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 176 features public relations master Art Stevens. Art joins the show to share his journey to the top in the world of PR. He talks about being unexpectedly promoted to PR director at age 25, and shares the ins and outs of owning and running a top PR company. Also, Art goes in depth on his upbringing and battle within to find “the real him”. Don’t miss insights from a true communications expert on the best way to convey a message and more… Art inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week: Believe in yourself – don’t let anyone or anything think you’re not good enough.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 126, Molly is joined by a childhood friend of hers, Andrea, who shares an awesome success story of returning to work after 16 years raising her daughter. Hear how she had the foresight to “never go away” and intentionally stayed in the game and nurtured relationships that helped her return to work on her terms—terrific tips! And an inspiring example of how confidence in ourselves is the starting point! Andrea and Molly also talk about her experience with going from virtual back to the office and how, after being recruited to a firm that was a better fit, she was forthright about why she was leaving and left on a high note. Then, Jennifer is keen on ways to put method to the madness in the barrage of x-functional projects for her team… all of which are seemingly “priority.” Jennifer and Molly talk about how to handle the in-the-moment requests, as well as strategies to help all stakeholders appreciate her team’s workload and need to best “serve the whole.” They also cover ways to be even more effective in soliciting feedback, and addressing a possible disconnect—her boss seems satisfied, though she’s unsure other stakeholders are on the same page (even she and her team don’t feel they’re doing so well. 27:15).

Don’t miss these lively conversations, helping you navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Molly’s Thought for the Week: “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
—Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 driver, 2022 Australian Grand Prix winner

More ways to help you #sayitskillfully!

• Here’s how to create that job-sharing win-win! http://bit.ly/3rITn77
• All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 75, master storyteller and one of the most influential leaders on the day-to-day management of people and companies, Ken Blanchard joins Molly for inside look into what’s most shape him and his success. He chronicles his parents’ profound impact and not exactly planful academic and career paths! Being the 7th grade “compromise candidate” for president started his leadership training, his Dad noting: “Don’t ever use your position—leaders are great because people trust and respect them, not because they have power.” From his Mother, “don’t you act like you’re better than anybody else, and don’t let anyone act like they’re better than you. There’s a pearl of goodness in every human being–dig for it and you’ll find it.”

Being a dormitory counselor at Cornell had Ken wanting to be a dean of students, so he earned masters and doctorate degrees (by the way, he was told “you can’t write!”). A magnificent personal and professional partnership with wife Margie led to a family enterprise with humility, humor and love as constants. Hear how The One Minute Manager came to be, opening his eyes to servant leadership and a lifetime of joyful collaboration with authors. Co-founder of the Lead like Jesus ministry—teaching people about servant leadership worldwide—Ken shares how servant leadership is especially vital now, and how this was demonstrated in his own firm so that they could navigate challenging Covid times. Gems galore! The most important thing about leadership is what people do when you’re not around. Keep your head up and listen. Worst thing that can happen is you learn… Ken inspires us to be the best version of ourselves. Tune in and learn how to navigate life while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Thought for the week from Ken: None of us is as smart as all of us.

Learn more at: www.kenblanchard.com www.kenblanchardbooks.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 23, Dr. Chris Sidford, board-certified emergency medicine physician, joined to share practical advice both to protect against Covid-19 and be proactive in your career possibilities, which led to his medical consultancy. Mitali, an executive coach, raised the topic of how do leaders convey tough information to their people about the state of the business, including layoffs (21:00). And Yoon-hee was open with her English-as-a-second language struggles and keen to find a way to overcome them (34:15). Molly's thought for the week: Be present. Be hopeful. Meet people where they are, not where you wish they’d be, so they feel heard and seen. And know this time of uncertainty shall pass with new opportunities to emerge. Listen in and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 177 features former professional tennis player and grand slam champion, Murphy Jensen. Murphy joins the show to recount his heartwarming experience of against all odds recovering from alcohol, drugs, and a near-death cardiac arrest. Don’t miss top takeaways from Murphy’s journey including the importance of open-mindedness and the notion that the teacher appears when the student is ready. He also tells stories from his pro tennis days and talks about his current endeavors in helping people be happier and healthier. Murphy inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 127, Molly is joined by Jordan, an HR professional just 90 days into his new company, who stepped into a confusing situation: an employee who’d just received a solid raise came back asking for an additional one. How to listen, hold ground with empathy and ensure this individual feels valued? They also talk about a new focus on mental health and an early positive reception with how they’re approaching this vital arena. Next, Marc and Molly have a lively conversation around how he goes to bat for his team of on-site desktop support services (we know how key these folks are) when the rest of the organization has the benefits of working remotely. He’s keen to ensure burnout isn’t an issue and the team stays motivated. Key takeaways: “timely, specific and heartfelt feedback as a way to engender loyalty, and “ask for what I need.” (21.15). Finally, Gabe has a two-fold quandary: meaningful consulting with a client who could lead the way in engaging with a community of color, and deciding if it’s a right fit. This leader’s “cringeworthy” (yikes) communication has Gabe doubtful… He reflects on what’s going on within, and Molly reinforces his “choice” in clients is crucial. Empower yourself (39:30)! Don’t miss these real-time conversations, helping you navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s Thought for the Week: “Cosmic humor, especially about your own predicament, is an important part of your journey.” —Ram Dass
More ways to help you #sayitskillfully!

• Give yourself a few minutes of peace—a guided gratitude meditation, http://bit.ly/2Udl4Vi
• Effective communication http://bit.ly/35jL4nk
• All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 76, Molly is joined by Matt Giordano, who shares an enthralling journey to his passion and purpose as internationally-known yoga instructor. He talks of a pivotal guide in art teacher Mrs. Walk, and the painful wake-up call of an intervention of friends saying they didn’t like who he was becoming. Hear of Matt’s remarkable curiosity, self-reflection and open-mindedness from a young age, which helped him first land on a yoga mat; there was no turning back! He’s upfront about travel burnout and working 4 a.m. to midnight, leading him to intentionally shift his business approach (which luckily set him up well to adapt to Covid times). Matt also adds perspective for those who might consider yoga, and those for whom it may not be a fit. Don't miss his wisdom around embracing change, the power of observing your own thoughts and behaviors and keeping your ego in check. Then, Keishla joins Molly keen to help a friend confront her micromanaging boss in a positive and productive way. Tune in and learn how to navigate life while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Thought for the week, inspired by Matt: Build humble confidence.

Learn more:
https://www.instagram.com/theyogimatt/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheYogiMatt
https://www.facebook.com/TheYogiMatt
https://twitter.com/TheYogiMatt

Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within, by Kenny Werner was an “a-ha” read for Matt!

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 24, Rhett Power shared highs, lows and aha’s as an entrepreneur...and how following his intuition continues to serve him. Jodi called in about the tough task of communicating to a colleague that they’re being let go, to no fault of their own (25:00). And early in his career in Nigeria, Uchebenu asked for advice in communicating new ideas and influencing elders in a respectful way (34:00). Molly responded to a scenario in which you want to help a boss be aware they take more airtime than they may think (46:15). Molly's thought for the week: Be your own best friend, not worst enemy (49:15). Tune in for these topics and her conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 178 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. Her first caller, Arthur, who volunteer-coaches a youth robotics team, calls in first about a recent not-so-helpful team dynamic. The team made it to the world championships (kudos!) and during the festivities, one young team member boasted about essentially “carrying the team” to their achievement. Hear Arthur and Molly discuss how to apply the Say It Skillfully Me–You–We framework, so he lets go of his (understandable) annoyance and turns a “negative” dynamic into a powerful learning experience for all. Then Maggie shares her struggle in “overthinking”, which makes it harder to give simple and direct feedback to those she’s mentoring. Maggie and Molly talk about the power of establishing her own intention—as one supporting another’s growth—and “transparency is your friend”. Big congratulations to Maggie for being promoted as well, making the transition from individual contributor to formal leader! We also discuss how to take advantage of the team’s early days to connect as human beings and co-create how best to collaborate and support each other’s growth. (16:40) Lastly, Greg, in his early 60’s, shares his experience in interviewing. He’s open about wrestling with people’s perception of being “end of career” and how to reinforce one’s clear skills, expertise and experience. He talks about dismissive behavior in a recent group zoom interview. Molly offers ways to “hold your own and lead yourself first” and not let others diminish your value add. Greg reinforces the need to maintain focus and be patient in the transition process. And a key takeaway is nurturing your network every day! (37:00) Don’t miss these top-of-mind conversations on all career phases—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: “Make a choice to build a life you don’t regularly need to escape from.” —Venus Williams

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 128, Molly is joined by Kris Maynard, who shares his journey from humble beginnings to Executive Chairman of 100% employee-owned Essential Ingredients! Hear the ins and outs of Kris’ story, accumulating massive student loan debts, working a post-college nighttime gig for extremely low pay, and eventually co-founding Essential Ingredients: a company that partners with consumer brand companies and contract manufacturers to provide quality personal and home care ingredients. Kris shares from a young age his penchant for risk-taking, including spending three months in Russia (11:35) and losing his job for planning to start a new company. Tune in for an inside look at the start of Essential Ingredients, and how Kris learned from early struggles, to find his true north and live his values, when this wasn’t necessarily the way things worked. Don’t miss the many lessons Kris learned along the way, including what it was like to “wear many hats” (hello,... forklift driver!) as a co-founder and how his early Board of Directors helped them focus. He was quick to figure out surrounding himself with talented people smarter than him was a winning strategy (18:45). Also, Kris explains how he built a successful business with a purpose of being a blessing to others, rather than maximizing profitability, with the ultimate aim of lasting 100 years. He also reveals a (now humorous) story about a time when he lost his level head in a heated moment where a distributor betrayed his trust (22:00)! Here’s an opportunity to reflect on your own values and how you put people first. Learn from how Kris led himself to stay true to himself and succeed on his terms. He inspires others to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard. Molly’s Thought for the Week: The Maynard family motto—”Nothing’s easy.” More ways to help you #sayitskillfully!

• You’re the dissenting vote and the most junior person https://lnkd.in/gV3MP7K
• All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 77, Molly’s first caller, Kathy, is keen to understand “metaskills”—your intentional energy or vibe—that impact how people perceive you, and how work gets done. Next, Kevin calls in about how to respond when asked for his thoughts on working from home and “how would you like to work going forward?” He also asks about a personal dilemma around preserving friendships when politically polarized and neither side appears to value diversity (11:40). Then Ed, who’s in charge of security and safety for a retail-based organization, asks about how best to have sensitive conversations with store staff to alert him if they sense any risk of workplace violence (32:25). Lastly, Cathy raises an observation of unconscious bias and asks for ways to approach a professor when they unintentionally may have offended a bunch of folks (41:40). Molly closes by encouraging parents that it’s never too early to help our youths find their voices – using an example of how a teenager making a food delivery might respond to an irate customer (50:55). Molly’s thought for the week, from tennis pro Jorge Capestany: There’s no failure… there’s only feedback. Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 25, self-awareness expert & best-selling author Tasha Eurich provided insights on building the essential skill of self-awareness, which may be more nuanced than you think ( also key for you in learning to Say It Skillfully™!) Ben called in keen for ideas on how to respond to what seemed to be a one-sided demand (18:15). Amanta, an artist, & I discussed how to raise her interest in celebrating wise & willful women who are making a difference in the world in a unifying way (30:15). Molly covered a LinkedIn scenario in which you think your boss is taking credit for your idea. (43:00). My thought for the week: Lead people; manage work. Lead from the heart; manage from the mind. Tune in for these topics & Molly's conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 179 features Brennan O’Dowd, owner and operator of Raleigh Paint & Improvement. Brennan collapsed into a heroin and Xanax addiction after struggling in his post-college years. He opens up about being at rock bottom and finding the light at the end of the tunnel in painting. Brennan sold his car, clothes and anything else he could find for his first paint van, and through hard work and dedication built a now 5-star rated painting company from the ground up. Tune in to this episode for a personal account of Brennan’s rollercoaster ride of a journey, as well as tips for creating a successful business and staying sober despite an addictive personality. Brennan inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Molly’s thought for the week, from Brennan: Failure is the key to the door of success. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 129 is the 24th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly is joined by Eduardo Rallo, who shares an epic entrepreneurial journey—selling sweets as a child in Mexico to starting a restaurant chain to co-founding the first US-Mexico cross-border VC firm, Brainstorm Ventures, early investor OpenTable and Zappos! Eduardo grew up in Cuernavaca—a small town outside Mexico City with freedom to pretty much do what he wanted as a child. Son of a refugee from the Spanish Civil War, he attributes his risk-taking and entrepreneurship to his mother and her entrepreneurial family. Unlike most kids, Eduardo was driven to expand his possibilities, and at age 17, he set off for UC San Diego—one family friend the only soul he knew. He recounts early fears and forging a few life, including working through school (a work ethic ingrained as a kid, selling American candies and Hallmark stickers in his hometown…) Hear how an innocent question at age 10 led him to Harvard Business School. His successful food-based business ventures continued post HBS, when he and friends opened a store selling burrito “wraps”—working 7am to 1am, they had lines out the door from the start and VC funds followed… Eduardo talks vulnerably about his first consulting job post-UCSD as the first Deloitte & Touche employee. Enjoy a defining moment: tasked to use Excel spreadsheet skills that he said he had, but didn’t... (and pulling 3 all-nighters). Don’t miss Eduardo’s learnings on his entrepreneurial journey, how he and his wife Sylvia partnered in business, and his early mid-life crisis—leading their 10-year plan to achieve their personal and professional goals. Eduardo is moved by bringing ideas and people together to succeed and shares massive gratitude for his diverse international global community. Privileges he's had in life have made his work with Silicon Valley Foundation meaningful. Many valuable gems, including:
-Balance the trade-offs to create business growth AND maintain healthy relationships.
-Learn to say “no.”
-Organizational skills and discipline to keep routines and prioritize, while staying flexible.
Eduardo’s courage to “have dreams and shoot high,” his work ethic, family focus, and joie de vivre inspire. He shows the way to succeeding on your terms and being your true and best self.
Molly’s thought for the week: “With privilege comes responsibility.”
More ways to help you #sayitskillfully!

• Project the Right Energy https://lnkd.in/gWaaQ8J
• All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 78, the 12th feature of “Our Voices,” Molly is joined by architect, inventor and social entrepreneur Alice Chun. Separated from her parents at age 1, Alice shares her cross-cultural upbringing between South Korea and the US—at times feeling she fit in neither. Trained in architecture she’s both teacher and innovator; the Haiti earthquake compelled her 1st invention—the Solar Puff™—world’s only self-inflatable, portable solar light. Alice embraces business failures as moments of inspiration & invention, mistakes in “getting the right people on the bus,” and the fleeting moments of “I should just give up.” She personifies GRIT–at one point, holding 3 jobs, breast feeding her baby and going through a divorce. MLK saying that racism is a sickness, a disease…can’t hate people for being sick..was profound for Alice. Hear her compassion for those projecting their own emptiness outward. She recounts a moving experience teaching children in developing areas and asks how can you make lives better, what problems can you help to solve, how can you make an existing solution a bit better? Alice’s latest invention, transparent, soft, self-adhesive and CLEAR masks will transform protecting healthcare workers. Alice lives her passion and demonstrates the power of never giving up with admirable humility and self-belief!

Thought for the week. Thank you Alice! Be a fighter, not with your fists or words—fight with the light of your mind, imagination and heart.

Tune in to hear her journey, inspiring us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves.

Learn more at:
Https://solight-design.com
Https://seesu-95.com

And follow Alice's inventions at IG @solight_design IG @seeus95

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 26, Molly started with several powerful learnings from a piece on Kobe Bryant, including the notion of being psychologically flexible: to be in touch with your emotions but not completely absorbed by them, a key to both Kobe’s success and saying it skillfully. President & CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, Asheesh Advani, generously shared his journey in building an entrepreneurial mindset and how one positive comment to a young person can literally change their life! Then, JA alum, 21-year old Ben Towers, unpacked the importance of different generations learning from each other to solve problems creatively. Ben and Molly then talked about personal brand & consistently developing a leader throughout one's life. Tune in and learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 180 is the 36th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. In this episode, Molly is joined by Grace Francisco. Grace is a sought-after speaker, CMO and Head of Developer Relations at Pangea and was previously the VP of Developer Strategy at Cisco. Grace joins the show to share her journey, opening up about her struggle with making friends in her early years—crediting American TV as her human connection. Don’t miss her inspiring evolution of going from “painfully shy” to speaking to thousands of people on center stage. Grace includes her tips on being comfortable in your own skin, as well as insights from her leadership roles throughout the years. She inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. Sharing my thought for the week, on embracing diversity, from President Martha Pollack at Cornell University (Thank you Robert Glazer for sharing!): “Learning to engage with difficult and challenging ideas is a core part of a university education: essential to our students’ intellectual growth, and to their future ability to lead and thrive in a diverse society. As such, permitting our students to opt out of all such encounters, across any course or topic, would have a deleterious impact both on the education of the individual student and on the academic distinction of a Cornell degree.”

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 130, Molly is joined by Navy officer, board-certified physician in emergency medicine, and entrepreneur Christopher Sidford, who shares his learnings in navigating high stakes with a level head and open heart. Chris grew up with five brothers very close in age. He recounts a highly energetic youth of “go outside and play” and jokes that regular ER visits foreshadowed his future. You may be surprised by his “defining moment” in selecting emergency medicine (hear how in the 70s this discipline emerged as a specialty). No one was more surprised than Chris that he joined the Navy, having staunchly sworn off serving, but it paid for medical school and opened his eyes to travel to unlikely destinations and the realities of “medicine on the road.” He opens up about a challenging military culture, in which medical decisions may be subjugated to rank. Chris talks of vulnerability for doctors starting out and translating great grades in medical school to saving lives. Shifts in Boston City Hospital’s trauma unit, a.k.a “the knife and gun club,” visualizing how to handle cases, and even the TV series MASH contributed to his early steep learning curve. Chris and Molly talk about self-care challenges—working sleep-deprived was a necessary skill—and tips for delivering tough news with compassion. Eventually, he went an entrepreneurial route with his consultancy, Black Bag Emergency Medicine. Chris offers Covid travel tips: * “Fully vaccinated” (3 shots + 4th booster) considered most effective in preventing death

• Relaxing mask mandate may be have premature (3M N-95, NIOSH certification recommended) * Travel requirements are a moving target. Resource: https://www.iata.org/en/youandiata/travelers/health/ * Have a healthy respect for the illness – avoid big crowds, find places with fewer people and maximize your time outdoors. Molly’s favorite quote of his: “Feeling intelligent is an arrested state of development.” Don’t miss Chris’ combination of humility, self-assuredness and passion to give people peace of mind. He inspires us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week—top of mind for Chris: Take your job seriously, but don’t take yourself so seriously. More ways to help you #sayitskillfully!
• You can deliver bad news in a good way, like this https://bit.ly/3fYveUE
• All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 79, Molly’s first caller is Shuang, an academic researcher making a career shift into business consulting, who has given her boss ample time for a proper transition, but now their interactions are awkward. She’s keen to fix this situation. Next, Mike finds himself promoted to a role that’s exactly how he wants to grow, yet senior management has not relieved him of his former job. We discuss how to raise this with his supportive boss to address his burnout and enable him to succeed in his new position (11:30). Then, Kit has a team member who is underperforming—this seems less about capability and more about motivation—and asks how to talk openly and provide feedback in a manner that motivates (21:45). Molly covers a delicate scenario in which you were thrown under the bus by a newly promoted former peer... how to skillfully engage with this new leader and right the ship (33:00)? Lastly, Michael opens his heart as a 26-year old start-up entrepreneur with many downs who finally now sees some light at the end of the tunnel. The son of Asian immigrants, he shares poignantly his desire to support his parents who’ve given everything they have to stand behind him (37:35). Molly’s thought for the week: Be here now. . Tune in and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 27, renowned expert for girls and young women in leadership development, Julie Carrier, shared some of the science on building confidence and overcoming negative self-talk. She highlighted the importance of leadership development beginning in school, and also right upon entering the workforce (check out http://girlslead.com). Molly's next callers, 18-year old Maryam & Nivaal, activists and award-winning filmmakers, shared their experience working together as sisters and creating a positive relationship (25:00). Then college sophomore Jackson called in keen for ways to respond to a student leader who dismissed his idea in a meeting and didn't help the team (51:00). Tune in for these live conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 181, Molly talks with Jason Reid, a successful leader, entrepreneur and CEO coach who became an activist on a mission to end teen suicide after the tragic loss of his 14-year-old son. He’s an amazing advocate for owning our kid’s mental health and will share what he’s learned about himself and others through his organization, “Tell My Story”. Don’t miss an inside look at an emotional journey that will leave you inspired to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves. For more about Tell My Story, visit https://www.chooselife.org/home.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 131, Molly is joined by Randy Paterson, PhD psychologist and author, who offers gems galore on our mental well-being—from the parent trap to depression changing our motivational structure to helping youths realize how passions are created, not discovered! Born and raised (and still) in Vancouver, BC, Randy self-describes as nerdy and bookish. He recalls “knowing” he wanted to be a psychologist and writer (and forest ranger, by the way). After his B.S. in psychology, he’s open about having felt inadequate for graduate school, and then stumbling onto an opportunity with prominent psychologist Ann Triesman that changed his life forever (Ann received the 2013 National Medal of Science from President Obama for pioneering work in the study of attention and was married to Nobel Prize Economist Daniel Kahneman). Randy shares his path to “anxiety disorder guy,” including thinking he’d be kicked out of the PhD program at Western University, and unexpectedly landing a job helping those with depression. He talks about those with Anhedonia (losing interest to do things you like to do). He helps people not trust the instincts to do what makes them feel worse! He also offers lessons learned for those keen to be in private practice with a reality check in working for others vs. yourself. Randy and Molly also talk about his sub-specialty—“failure to launch”—in young adults and the “parent trap” that supports their dependence, not independence. Don’t miss this engaging episode! Randy helps us talk and learn about mental health. He inspires us to help all be safe, seen and heard, and be our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week. Thank you Randy: Failure is a normal part of life. Failure exposure is one of the best things we can do. Check out a wealth of resources from Randy: *http://www.randypaterson.com *https://psychologysalon.teachable.com *YouTube Channel – type PsychologySalon *Books: How to be Miserable, How to be Miserable in Your 20s, The Assertiveness Workbook, Private Practice Made Simple, Your Depression Map. More ways to help you #sayitskillfully! *Tactfully pushback on those meandering, endless meetings… https://lnkd.in/eHScYf9 *All Molly’s videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In this Episode, Sam Allen, Executive Vice President & COO of Salesforce, joins Molly and shares his journey from his youth in the Midwest to combat veteran and Commissioned Officer in the US Marines to entrepreneur and high-tech mergers and acquisitions and running a multi-billion dollar business. With little guidance in his modest youth, Sam had to chart a path for himself and enlisted in the military. Fortunately, this provided an opportunity to attend college. He describes combat as, The ultimate assault on the senses…survival instincts on steroids. Under extreme duress as people are trying to kill you or your people, you dig deep into a central reservoir of the mission.” He’s honest about early deer-in-headlights feelings as he re-joined civilian life and his thought process and intention to develop himself and his career and support his family. The “best laid plans never survive the 1st bullet.” Sam offers his experiences with bias and never spending more than a few hours or day thinking about job changes. He reveals how a virtue may also be vice and learning to manage this so that others perceive him as he intends. Don’t miss his “operating manual,” a brilliant tool to help people know who he really is as a leader and human being. He sets the tone for all he interacts with to be real and their true selves. And hear how he’s charged up about his current role and the opportunities for business to help create a better world. Molly’s thought for the week are the three values that guide Sam: Integrity-Courage-Dependability. Join the show and learn how to navigate life while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 28, named “one of the most influential entrepreneurs on the planet” by The Times, 21-year old Ben Towers joins Molly to examine the importance of asking for help, and also discusses improving mental health in the workplace by forming communities. Molly's next caller Matt is keen on ways to gracefully leave a job while giving open honest feedback to be part of the solution (21:00). Then, Brandon calls in to talk about gaining new clients by showing confidence, yet not being too forceful (31:50). Finally, Molly covers a question from an HR professional about feeling unmotivated after turnover within the company (43:00). Her thought for the week: Breathe with your whole body (51:15). Tune in for Molly's conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 182 Molly talks with entrepreneur, executive and early-stage investor Naveed Lalani. He joins the show to share his story, starting his entrepreneurial ventures at just 10 years old after moving to the US from Pakistan. Don’t miss a heartwarming account of how Naveed took risks in pursuit of the American dream and found his own path to success. He inspires us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 132, Molly is joined first by Eric, who shares two fascinating projects that confront our use of language! They talk about not so subtle shifts in words that help teams design how they work with sharp focus on “the whole” vs. individuals doing (or not doing) their work. He shares work at NYU in “re-languaging” the category known as prison literature, and the imperative to see the writing itself, not from where it’s been written! Next, Cindy opens up about a painful experience in which she feels she spoke up about what wasn’t working in the department, but in a way that did not reflect well on her. Cindy and Molly discuss the need and power to surface people’s different experiences with the intention to help the group be better vs. come across as self-interested (17:45). Finally, Chris displays courage and vulnerability in sharing his autism and the numerous struggles he and those like him face in fulfilling their potential in the workplace. So often, he has the experience of “feeling like everyone else got the memo, except me.” And he shares the lack of “auto-pilot” to interpret social interactions, and the challenge in interviewing when asked what seems a very general question, “tell me about yourself…” Chris and Molly talk about self-assuredness and sharing the positive, vs. disabling, aspects of autism and his vital role in educating those unfamiliar with it (38:05). Don’t miss rich dialogue and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: Trust the goodness in yourself and the goodness in those around you. That’s the ultimate show of confidence. —Jeff Warren
More ways to help you #sayitskillfully! * How to be heard at work https://bit.ly/2UXFyBl * All my videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. What happens when Mother Teresa is your role model? Over a billion people see your work! In Episode 81, learn from Molly’s guest—extraordinary social innovator Firdaus Kharas, master of social change via animations that compel viewers to accept his messages and come to their own conclusion to change for the better. In Calcutta, Firdaus—influenced more by his pioneering, attorney Mother than Father (wanting him to be an accountant!)—saw poverty firsthand and knew his destiny was to do something about it. Aspiring to see 100 countries (now at 146…), he arrived in Pennsylvania as the 1st ever Bombay Rotary Club exchange student. Studying human rights, researching methods of torture, and working in Canada’s immigration/refugee affairs were part of his schooling to improve the human condition. Believing that “people everywhere matter,” “we are one human family” and “we’re all creative beings”, Firdaus talks of his eternal optimism, helping him confront the atrocities and injustices he aims to end. Motivated by impact, never money, he recounts his journey to build his media company and leverage his creativity—a breakthrough with UNICEF and epiphany of the power of humor in mid 2000, when his Three Amigos animated condoms appeared in 150 countries—widely credited for assisting the stopping the spread of HIV aids. His topics are many: human rights, health education/disease prevention, children at risk, environment, preserving culture, sexual violence, racism, to name a few. He talks of his two kinds of animation: behavior change communications and catalyst videos to ignite discussion that drive social change, and notes the irony of today’s instant two-way communications bringing us closer, while populism that divides. How Firdaus is driven by his values inspires as much as his passion to make the world a better place for all. Tune in to hear how one human makes a world of difference, inspiring us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. See his animations here:
https://vimeo.com/412745660

Chocolate Moose Media: http://chocmoose.com

Creativity: The Key to a Remarkable Life: https://chocolate-moose-media.myshopify.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 29, Marshall Goldsmith, recognized as World’s #1 Executive Coach and a Top Ten business thinker for the past eight years by Thinkers50, shares wise words to help you lead during the pandemic. He also reveals a fantastic way to shift from feedback to feedforward. Then, Louisa poses a challenge of how to approach a conversation around more diverse representation in the sciences (16:40). And, Chris is keen for different ways to effectively connect and communicate with a leader to whom you haven’t had a lot of access (26:10). Finally, Mark shares how game-changing it is to be a “mood engineer!” (38:20). Marshall’s powerful, 6-question process: bit.ly/3ep8Guz
Try Feedforward! bit.ly/3eq8VWd Tune in for her conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 183 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. Amanda calls in first, and her company has thrived the past few years by embracing change and continues to be in high growth mode. She’s excited about change, though has team members who seem averse to it. Amanda and Molly talk through how to understand the root of the disagreement, and the difference between all “agreeing” vs “aligning” on change. They also review key conditions for successful change. Next Ray, who works in government and leads a high-performing team, is charged up about innovating around feedback, including introducing a way to solicit 360 input from stakeholders across the organization. He’s mindful though, of not overstepping as has been in his new role for a year. Ray and Molly start with his own attitude on performance conversations, including worries, and how “transparency is our friend.” They also offer the aspirational opportunity of feedforward (Thank you Marshall Goldsmith!). (12:05) Then, Staci, who realized college wasn’t for her, and entered the trades inquiries about “climbing the corporate ladder” in a male-dominated profession without a college degree. Staci and Molly talk about her self-confidence and willingness to take the bull by the horn as tremendous assets. Keen to have her ideas taken seriously and feel heard, we go through what and how to communicate in ways where this comes through (34:10)! Don’t miss these top-of-mind conversations on all career phases—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: “Obstacles do not block the path, they are the path.” —Anonymous

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 133 is the 25th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly is joined by first-generation American Chioma Iheanacho, who shares her journey from swanky law firm to single mother persevering to find a job, to Silicon Valley and finally her own business! Born to a father from Nigeria and a mother from Barbados, Chioma felt out of place navigating American culture. Bullied for her personality and ethnicity, she recalls insults such as “you think you’re so smart” and other kids laughing at her name. Chioma opens up about how this made her “shrink... at one point even asking her mother if her name could be changed to Linda Brown! Poignantly, she goes in depth about how trauma that shrinks you shapes your views and what you accept for yourself. Chioma talks about her early struggles as a single mother, overcoming the feeling of defeat in a tedious job search while raising her son, then eventually finding a tech support position in which she wore many hats. Learning about compliance, procurement, software, contracts, licensing, budgeting, risk management, business operations, and many more skills enhanced her career as employee, consultant and entrepreneur. With guardedness, Chioma shares her insights and learnings, including how she keeps implicit biases at bay and how leaders can create safe and inclusive spaces. Don’t miss Chioma detail the how and why behind katchimedia, her media company, which she admits she could have started sooner! Hear her passion in helping entrepreneurs and organizations optimize business operations & practices, ensure compliance and deliver online in a way that beautifully reflects their gifts and services. Tune in for heartfelt ups and downs of Chioma’s unexpected path in life and in business. She inspires all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves.
Molly’s thought for the week: Never reduce your dreams to the level of the event, which is your immediate experience. — Howard Thurman. More ways to help you #sayitskillfully! * Minimize fear and transform “mistakes” into valuable learning moments https://bit.ly/2JynAEB * All my videos by category here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 82, innovative speaker, educator and artist, Dr. Aaron Smith, beloved as the “rapping professor” to students at Temple University, shares why he’s a racial optimist. This episode will help you to be a part of the solution—and look at humanity in a way where you see yourself in other people.

As a youth, when Aaron witnessed racism, his response was feeling that people were being cheated… cheated by not having the interest or tolerance to appreciate other people—because they lacked skill set, language & courage to step out of “boxes” and consider people on individual merit. And he saw this could be remedied by education and exposure to the full humanity of other people.

His African-American and Asian studies equipped him to see how systemic oppression and unequal justice were the enemies, not the communities who seemed different. He shares how a teacher’s single statement changed his life trajectory, and taught him to “weigh his words.” He implores all to understand the chronology of human history as a starting point (see his reading list!)

“Race is not a zero sum game about winners and losers—racism is.”

“Underlying issues, challenges and problems related to xenophobia and intolerance along racial lines could be resolved with greater empathy.”

And he talks of the extraordinary energy and appetite of young people today to take on the messes previous generations have not—racially, environmentally and more—and how the skeptical are some of his best students. HOPE!

Then Yen calls in for a thought-provoking discussion around the “felt sense” of interacting with others and how to tap into this to deepen our relationships. We also talk family, and the “roles” we play, not always so consciously. Lastly, Roger shares a major win—turning a job losing situation into an unexpected promotion, not only by saying it skillfully, but by “being” it skillfully. Molly's thought for the week – Wise words from the rapping professor:
When met with adversity, it’s preparing you to learn—look at it with joy and embrace.
Tune in and learn how to navigate work, and life, while being invaluable and true to yourself. And check out Dr. Aaron Smith’s recommended reading – be a racial optimist.
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, African Pyramids of Knowledge by Molefi Kete Asantev (or any of his work!). More about Dr. Smith: https://liberalarts.temple.edu/academics/faculty/smith-aaron

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 30, Molly's conversations center around jobs. Her 1st caller, Kai, raises how to ask for a promotion, while still being sensitive & appreciative to have a job in these tough times. They also cover how to act on difficult feedback and stay true to yourself. Paloma, a headhunter, raises the importance of soft skills, in addition to technical, for leaders to have and apply (20:30). Then Aditya calls in to understand how to discuss with his boss the work overload that’s leading toward burn out (27:20). Finally, Molly cover self-coaching and how to bolster your own self-esteem and give yourself credit for the value that you add (47:30). Her thought for the week: Choose compassion (50:00). Tune in for her conversations as you learn to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 184 features the inspiring Dave Clark. Dave joins the show to share a healthy dose of inspiration with his story of overcoming the odds. He was diagnosed with Polio at 10 months old but didn’t let that stop him from dreaming AND doing. Through hard work and dedication, Dave proved himself worthy of a shot in the minor leagues where he had a 17 year playing career, finding success as the only player in professional sports history to pitch from crutches. Don’t miss insights and stories from Dave’s journey, including his mindset as a child with Polio, how he found brotherhood in his teammates after being just “tolerated” to start, and what went down in his career highlight game. Dave inspires us all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true best selves.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 134, Molly is joined first by Elizabeth, who gives us the inside scoop on being on campus during the height of Covid uncertainty, attempting to get through sophomore year with sanity! Living in a sorority with 60 others, she sometimes was forbidden to go outside. She shares the roller coaster, being upset with how rules were enforced, and at the same time realizing not much could be done. In hindsight, she reflects on interacting with those “in power”, what she learned about herself—particularly taking care of herself—and becoming more confident. Next, Stephanie, a 30-year veteran insurance broker, offers thoughts on being senior and female in a predominantly male industry. She talks about the fine line between being aggressive vs. the sugar and spice way to get things done, including the power of transparency to encourage folks in the right way to get the work done. Ultimately keeping focus on treating customers the right way and modeling accountability has been a recipe for long-term success. Stephanie also shares the fulfillment in her business—helping people and making a difference for them in what can be a frustrating maze (19:40). Then Michael—four years out of college in the U.S.—shares his inspiring recent few years in China and Taiwan, embracing the adventure and growth in landing with a couple suitcases in a new land, not speaking the language and developing his ability to teach English to 5-year olds! His enthusiasm and joie de vivre inspire us to go outside boundaries and to create and embrace possibilities! If you feel “stuck” in your current gig, soak in Michael’s bring-it-on enthusiasm. He’s made the transition back to the states and is devising what’s next (36:45). Don’t miss these conversations and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thoughts for the week, courtesy of Henri Matisse—The Red Studio, MoMA Exhibition —Open reality to possibility —The whole of the artist is in their work. More ways to help you #sayitskillfully! * You can deliver bad news in a good way, like this https://bit.ly/3fYveUE * All Molly’s resources here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 83 is the 13th feature of “Our Voices”–an opportunity to hear firsthand of people’s journeys and what it was like for them to grow-up, go to school, struggle, work and live in our world. Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Partner and Vice Chairman of Global Infrastructure Partners, shares his path to extraordinary change agent—what shaped his identity as an Asian American and how as educator, medical expert and global leader he made change happen at G20 summits and in remote, rural villages alike. Born in South Korea to parents uncharacteristically NOT urging “just fit in,” Dr. Jim reveals his early years in America—feelings as an outsider, often stared at, and struggles with what being Korean means. His Father, tough and unashamed of his roots, guided his son to complete medical school before other studies, so he’d “have a skill that no one can take away from you.” Unlike Asian stereotypes, Dr. Jim divulges his nature as a fighter and shares fondly his exhilarating, formative time at Brown University’s “Third World Center” and feeling closest to his fellow people of color. He may surprise you, noting studying anthropology was largely a way to resolve his identity crisis. And rather than “service” it is fighting for justice that’s his raison d'être, compelling his fearlessness to “speak truth to justice” on uncomfortable topics to the world’s most powerful political leaders and respected experts. Hear him talk of his difficulty with tough conversations, his “no cry zone” at Partners in Health, “fighting for things worth fighting for” and many insights from his roles around the world: * Global action is extremely difficult—the personalities matter a lot. * Leadership is critical; democracy, fickle. * Optimism is a moral choice: you can’t take on intractable problems without it—per Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, “Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.” He shares his hope in the amazing movements of young people tackling tough ESG issues, and sees Asians waking up to “things not being fine” as a good thing. “People knowing how it feels to be Asian can create greater awareness for ALL underrepresented groups and a powerful sense of solidarity. With the awakening of BLM and The Asian American Foundation—there’s a sense it is possible to be respectful of all people and their choices.” Molly’s thought for the week, honoring family friend Dr. Lee Shiu, who passed peacefully at 92: “Enjoy life to the fullest. Sing, dance, laugh, be happy, and don’t worry too much.” Tune in to learn from Dr. Jim’s remarkable life journey, inspiring us to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. bendingthearcfilm.com
Correction: His leadership in 2014 was critical to frontline Ebola response in WEST AFRICA.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 31, Molly launches Our Voices, a feature in which you will hear firsthand the stories of her guests becoming who they are. When you can hear different voices with curiosity and without judgment, it helps create empathetic understanding of vastly different experiences around what it means to grow up, go to school, struggle, work and live in our world. Molly’s friend, Patrick Brown shares his inspiring journey from high school dropout—in a land of pain and poverty—to renting his first computer at 17, and then defying the odds to become a successful, Fortune 50 high tech leader. While honoring his roots, he shares his optimism and excitement about the legacy he wants in the future. Patrick also shares actionable ways to support all of us in being safe, seen and heard... being our true and best selves.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 185 features callers from around the world unpacking their challenging conversations with Molly. First, Grace rejoins the show after two years, having earned her PhD, which included time in Los Angeles and South Africa. She compares and contrasts her experiences as a Chinese academic professional. While her US education was primarily with white men and women, she gained greater appreciation for how diverse the US is compared to her time in Africa. Then Natalie, who hails from Malta and currently lives in Qatar, shares her myriad transitions in supporting her husband’s career moves—a bounty of learnings in earning two master degrees, numerous career shifts and raising two boys. She talks about the power of self-reflection in her journey, struggles to prioritize her own self-care, and how service and philanthropy have ultimately given her more than she feels she’s given to others (16:05). And Roger exudes gratitude for finally landing his dream job in academia, which includes creating opportunities to support underrepresented youths and create on ramps to higher education. Many unexpected twists, turns and disappointments along the way to his latest triumph. In his latest move, while being the lone male on a team with 11 women might not seem so easy, hear what presented the most challenge for Roger in taking on his latest role (30:30)! The show wraps with everyone’s thoughts on how diversity is a win-win. Indeed we best “serve the whole” by learning to embrace our differences and gain empathy for each other’s human experience. Enjoy these thought-provoking conversations.—learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself.

Molly’s thought for the week: “Energy flows from commitment.” —George Leonard