Crucial Talks Podcast

Mike Sedam interviews Amberly Lago about her journey of triumph over tragedy. Amberly has written a book called True Grit and Grace: Turning Tragedy Into Triumph. Her book is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2S5FWfy In this interview, Amberly talks about how changing her perception allowed her to overcome tragedy after a terrible motorcycle accident and how her perception allows her to deal with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Amberly also talks about the power of social networks and how her "tribe" helped her through tragedy.  This is a powerful interview that can help anyone dealing with physical, emotional, or psychological pain. For more information and to contact Amberly, visit www.amberlylago.com. To contact Mike Sedam or have him speak at your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com.  

In episode 53, Mike Sedam interviews Kevin Murphy about his book The Three Rooms. Available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QB6pVy. For more about Kevin or his book you can visit: www.thethreerooms.com The conversation about this book lets us look at the power of perception. We also get tools to use to help us be more mindful of where we are. Are we in the past, the present, or the future. These are the three rooms Kevin explains we can be in at any one time. Kevin's premise is that our experience of life is not what we do or what we have, it’s what we think. Whichever room your thoughts are in, determines your experience of life at that moment. The key is to monitor your thoughts. One question we can ask is "Where am I?" This is a reminder to be aware of your thoughts. We could be worried about the future or stuck in the past. We constantly get triggered by things that disrupt our positive thoughts so we need triggers to bring us back. In this episode of the Crucial Talks Podcast, Kevin gives us tools that helps to keep us in the present room. To contact Mike or to have him speak at your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com  

Cheryl Rice is interviewed by Mike Sedam about the You Matter Marathon. No running is required (thank goodness) in this marathon. Visit: http://youmattermarathon.com/ for more information and for your 30 free cards to hand out. The cards are the size of a business card and simply say "You Matter." Cheryl's motivation is to provide people with opportunities to connect. Something all of us as social storytellers need and crave. In this fast-paced world, we are social animals that require the same social connections we always have. This movement is something that can help us connect. Listen to Cheryl as we learn about the You Matter Marathon and also lessons that help us understand what drives people... social connections.

In this episode, Mike Sedam interviews the second half of the dynamic duo that wrote Conversations Worth Having. The book is available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2S5hDOH Jackie Stavros talks to us about appreciative inquiry and how flipping the conversation can have a positive impact on how we deal with situations. She gives us two stories: one from an organization she helped and the second from her own personal life. These stories help us understand the concepts of appreciative inquiry and the tools that lead us to conversations worth having. Please visit the Conversations Worth Having website at: www.conversationsworthhaving.today for more information and an executive summary of the book. If you need anything from Mike or would like him to speak at your event or to your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com.

Mike Sedam interviews Nate Regier, the author of Beyond Drama: Transcending Energy Vampires, and Conflict without Casualties about how his company, www.next-element.com helps people deal with conflict in positive ways. His book is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LlYrK4 Nate talks to us about conflict and how people can spend energy on drama or compassion. He explains the difference as:  Drama is to struggle against. Compassion is to struggle with. People can do more together than they can apart. Nate describes the 3 parts of the "Compassion Cycle" 1. Openness – safety and transparency 2. Resourcefulness - being curious and forward thinking while caring about what people have to say 3. Persistence – understanding boundaries and non-negotiables Please visit www.crucialtalks.com to connect with Mike or to hire him to speak at your organization.

In this episode, Mike Sedam talks about the three degrees of influence that was written about in the book Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler. Mike uses an example from the show Seinfeld to explain how degrees of separation impact influence people can have on others.  This is important when we are trying to make changes in our organizations or communities. Mike uses his knowledge of social networks, people as social beings, and the role of identity in decision-making and sense-making to help describe why considering three degrees of influence can help us develop communication strategies when trying to institute change programs. Please visit www.crucialtalks.com to connect with Mike or to check his availability to speak to your organization.

Karen Jaw-Madson is interviewed by Mike Sedam about culture and her book Culture Your Culture: Innovating Experiences @Work. Her book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Lo48HB Karen talks about developing a plan so that work experiences can be designed in a way that both people and the business thrive. Culture has been a huge part of Karen's life and she learned to be aware of social structures which lead to her exploring culture at a societal level, then applying what she has learned and experienced to organizations.  Karen saw that there was a need she could contribute toward so that work experiences could be designed in positive and engaging ways that not only helps people feel empowered and engaged, but also helps businesses thrive. Karen can be reached at any of the following locations: Website: www.designofworkexperience.com Twitter: @karenjaw Facebook: /designofworkexperience Instagram:co.designofworkexp LinkedIn: /company/co--/ For more information about Mike Sedam, to check Mike's availability to speak at your organization, or if you would just like to network please visit: www.crucialtalks.com  or reach out via email, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Mike Sedam uses an episode of Seinfeld to discuss how our beliefs affect how we see the world around us and how that impacts our decisions. In Seinfeld, Episode 12 of Season 9, George has a huge wallet where he keeps everything. It is so large it causes him pain. It is also so large it give Jerry a lot to make fun of him about. We use it to better understand the book, Conversations Worth Having, by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres. By listening to the interactions between George and Jerry, we can see how the Constructionist Principle works and why how we have constructed the worlds we occupy can impact our decisions. We also get to use two principles from the book: 1. Having a positive frame and 2. Asking generative questions can change the direction of the conversations we have. If you would like more information or would like me to speak at your organization, please visit www.crucialtalks.com. I would love to talk with you.

Cheri Torres is interviewed by Mike Sedam about how to have strength-based conversations to implement change. Cheri co-authored the book Conversations Worth Having. It is available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CibTMf Words have power, so we should be intentional of the words we use. Appreciative Inquiry is the foundation of these conversations and helps us change the lens we use to view a situation. You may be dealing with the same exact situation, but the frame you use to construct the conversations you have can help change the focus, and thus the outcome. The conversations we have can create safe workspaces which can lead to greater creativity and innovation. It's not about putting on rose-colored glasses. Having these conversations still recognizes the issues we are dealing with and helps us resolve complex challenges. The way we engage, talk, and make meaning constructs our reality. Conversations are not neutral. They either move us in one direction or another. For more information about Cheri and the book, "Conversations Worth Having" by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres, please visit: www.converstionsworthhaving.today. Also, to check if I am available to speak to your organization or if I can help in any other way, please visit www.crucialtalks.com.  

Mike Sedam interviews Marques Ogden about self-transformation and trust on Episode 45 of the Crucial Talks Podcast. Marques Ogden is a former NFL football player and author that speaks and consults about leadership and transformation. His book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Bor3xB What is so great about Marques is that he is relatable. His story of overcoming hardships relates to all of us. He has been through hard times. He has lost an important loved one. He has had to build his business from the ground up. Marques gives us three steps to transformation: 1. Identify your inner circle. 2. Set a clear vision. 3. Take action. He explains this to us with a great story about his spilled milk moment where he decided to transform himself...and he did. Marques also talks about trust and the three things a leader should do to build trust: 1. Competency. 2. Reliability. 3. Selflessness. Reach Marques at: www.marquesogden.com for speaking and consulting. Thanks for listening to the Crucial Talks Podcast. Please visit www.crucialtalks.com.  

Host: Mike Sedam Guest: Melissa Agnes On Episode 44 of The Crucial Talks Podcast, we talk to Melissa Agnes on her book, Crisis Ready. Check here for her book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2BreWjo Melissa is awesome and talks to us about how our organization can build the capacity to deal with a crisis in a way that we can come out on the other side with increased trust and credibility. This is more than being able to manage crisis, it's about being ready for crisis in a way that helps the day-to-day activities of the organization. Melissa talks to us about why we need to put people first, the importance of communication, and how the lenses we wear to view our organization, the people in it, and the issues we deal with can impact our decisions. Melissa can be reached at www.melissaagnes.com. If you would like to contact Mike Sedam, please visit www.crucialtalks.com.  

In this episode, Mike Sedam interviews Esther Weinberg. Esther Weinberg is a leader in redefining organizational culture. She has also written a leadership book called Become a Successful Leader: 57 Simple Strategies Any Leader Can Implement TODAY!. It can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LoLNtE In this episode, she talks about the role of dignity in workplaces and in our own lives. Esther is the founder of MindLight Group, www.mindlightgroup.com where she helps organizations understand and implement the Dignity Zone which consists of trust, respect, and safety. Operating in the dignity zone helps engage, retain, and recruit employees. What I absolutely love about Esther's approach is the focus on positive relationships and mentoring. Too many executives, managers, supervisors, team members, and consultants look for problems to solve. With Esther's approach, they can focus on the positive and plant seeds to grow organizational culture that is positive and creative. To be creative people need to feel trust, respect, and safety in their workplace. Esther goes in with the mindset that she is helping to BUILD CAPACITY. Building capacity is a major focus of the Crucial Talks Podcast because building capacity lets us look at strengths and where we want to be in the future. Esther discusses mentoring, workplace bullying, and self-improvement. She does it from a positive lens and with a focus on building capacity. If you would like more information about this episode or any other, please contact me. I can also be reached to speak to your organization, consult, or just have a conversation with you. Please feel free to contact me at: www.crucialtalks.com. -Mike Sedam  

Mike Sedam talks to Joe Romm, the author of How to Go Viral and Reach Millions. Joe's book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CjFlRR Joe earned a degree in Physics from MIT. As a physicist, he saw that scientists were not very good at communicating. He studied why some communication works better than others and how messages between people could go viral. He gives five rules to follow that will increase the chance of a message going viral: 1. Tell a story 2. Use figures of speech 3. Trigger one of the three activating emotions 4. Be memorable 5. Test messaging He also gives a simple trick, proven by great storytellers like Jesus, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Trump, so that we increase our ability to tell stories which increases our chance of going viral. Joseph Romm can be reached at www.rhetoric.com. For more information, please visit www.crucialtalks.com and reach out to me via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. I am available to speak to your organization and also for consulting.

In this episode, Mike Sedam is humbled to interview Maja Kazazic. Maja Kazazic grew up in war-torn Bosnia. She lost her leg and many friends during an explosion. Maja then moved to the United States where she not only learned to walk again, but learned to run again. She also started a successful technology company and now takes the lessons she has learned throughout her life to help the rest of us. Maja is the epitome of what is discussed on the Crucial Talks Podcast... having a positive view and what this can do for your future. She also explains the importance of community and of having strong relationships.  As Maja says, "It is easy to stay positive when your life is going well." "What is really difficult is to stay positive during a time of crisis." The key is perspective. "It's your perspective that makes the situation." We all go through hard times and have to deal with challenges. In this episode, we get to see how challenges can be reformed into opportunities.  We also get to see how relationships are essential to success. Maja tells us how we can reprogram ourselves to start seeing things in a more positive way and this positive view helps us overcome difficult times in our lives. If you would like to get in touch with Maja, please visit her at: www.majakazazic.com or at www.majaspeaks.com. To contact me for any speaking opportunity or to reach out to say hello, please visit www.crucialtalks.com    

Imagine your list of getting things done. Have you been able to send people to see the Titanic, or figured out a way for clients to sing with their favorite band? How about closing down a famous museum for dinner in front of a famous sculpture while a world-renowned singer serenades the dinner party? Steve Sims has done all that. However, important to us are the tips he can give us on a positive mindset, relationships, and trust. Learn about his belief that business is personal. Learn about being your "ugly self" and authenticity. Hear all about the "chug test" and what this means to finding the right team members, allies, and clients. Listen to Steve talk about the fact that there is no greater return on investment than investing in relationships. Steve Sims is the founder of thebluefish.com, a luxury concierge service and is the author of Bluefishing, a book about success, relationships, and making things happen. Steve's book can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gm0GhH Please visit www.stevedsims.com to see more about Steve and his book Bluefishing.