How do we find that fire in our belly to do something truly revolutionary with our lives? Silicon Valley disruptor and current CEO of Corent Technology, Feyzi Fatehi, knows a thing or two when it comes to answering that question. For today’s episode of The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with Feyzi to take a look at his meteoric rise through some of the world’s top technology companies—outlining the biggest lessons he’s learned along the way.

From spearheading Hewlett-Packard’s global alliances in his 20s to getting his MBA from Stanford and going on to lead from the C-suite, Feyzi has had a front row seat to the seismic shifts happening in Silicon Valley over the last few decades. Together he and Michelle discuss the evolution of leadership practices in the tech industry, the motivation behind Feyzi’s book—Democratizing SaaS, and his best advice for finding that fire in your belly to do great things with your life and talents.

Don’t miss this inspiring conversation!

Purchase Democratizing SaaS here: https://www.corenttech.com/democratizing-saas-testimonials.html.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Transforming Questions for Better Understanding
01:50 Feyzi Fatehi: A Journey of Meaning and Curiosity
06:09 Cultural Shifts in Silicon Valley Leadership
11:49 From Transactional to Inspirational Leadership
18:03 Democratizing SaaS: A Vision for the Future
24:14 Finding Your Fire: Tips for Success

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

As leaders, it’s essential that we master the art of the delicate conversation to foster connection among the people we lead. But delicate conversations are just that … delicate, and it’s tempting to put them off. Today on The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with the world’s no. 1 startup coach, Alisa Cohn, to dive into how to have those delicate conversations we all dread, and how to have them well.

To open the episode, Michelle invites Alisa to share her incredible story of reinventing her career at 27 years-old and becoming one of the world’s most sought-after startup coaches. Michelle then pulls from the scripts Alisa outlines in her bestselling book, and together the two illustrate for us how to have some of the delicate conversations many leaders face. From delivering bad news to your staff to walking an employee through why you don’t believe they’re ready for a promotion right now, Alisa shows us how to have these delicate conversations in a way that builds trust and connection. Michelle and Alisa’s conversation concludes with Alisa sharing her insights into how managers can better connect with their employees, even in an increasingly remote work space.

Don’t miss this incredible episode of The Seismic Shift!

Check out Alisa’s book, From Start-Up to Grown-Up here: https://www.alisacohn.com/start-up/.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Vulnerability in Connection
02:09 Alisa Cohn's Journey to Coaching
04:51 Seismic Shifts in the Workplace
07:32 Building Connection in a Hybrid World
10:24 Navigating Delicate Conversations
20:07 Communicating Bad News Effectively
23:26 Creating a Culture of Connection

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

For this week’s special, bonus episode of The Seismic Shift, Michelle has the privilege of sitting down with two of her colleagues at Loyola University New Orleans: the university’s new president—and first president of color—Dr. Xavier Cole, and Loyola’s interim dean of the College of Business, Dr. Bobby Savoie. It’s no secret that the value (and price tag) of higher education have come into question in recent years. So together these three dynamic leaders discuss some of the key seismic shifts happening in higher education right now, answering the question of if an advanced degree is still worth it in our changing job landscape.

Throughout their conversation, Dr. Cole and Dr. Savoie both share how higher education changed their career trajectories—discussing some of the ways they’re disrupting higher education as we know it, why an education that focuses on how to think critically is so vital, and how higher education is different today than it was for previous generations.

Don’t miss this insightful conversation!

Learn more about Loyola University New Orleans on their website: https://www.loyno.edu/.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Transformational Power of Education
04:32 Seismic Shifts in Higher Education
11:59 Challenges and Opportunities in Leadership
18:24 Creating Problem Solvers in Business Education
24:50 The Importance of Connection and Community
30:06 The Future of Higher Education: A Holistic Approach

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

The city of New Orleans recently experienced “the Taylor Swift effect”—the whole city coming together culturally and economically for the singer’s Eras Tour weekend. Today on The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with 2025 Super Bowl Czar Michael Hecht to talk all about how the city can recreate that sense of joy and belonging during next year’s Super Bowl.

As New Orleans natives, Michelle and Michael are both passionate about seeing their city thrive during big events like a Taylor Swift concert and the Super Bowl, and New Orleans undoubtedly does big events very well (just look at Mardi Gras!). But how can other cities or organizations recreate the kind of weekend these two just experienced in their city—one that fostered belonging, sparked joy, and thrived on spontaneity and inclusivity? Michelle asks Michael to break it down during this conversation. Together they take a look at the practical ways Michael’s preparing for the Super Bowl next year, how other entities can foster connection around their own big events, and why the Taylor Swift effect doesn’t have to end when the Eras Tour leaves your city.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Power of Connection in Divisive Times
03:08 Taylor Swift's Impact on New Orleans
05:51 The Role of Community in Major Events
09:12 Creating a Lasting Legacy Beyond the Super Bowl
11:56 The Joy of Freedom and Individuality
14:49 Engagement as a Key to Success
18:13 Decentralized Models of Celebration
21:00 Building Anticipation for the Super Bowl
24:08 Michael Hecht's Journey to Super Bowl Czar

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

We all have those things that are most important to us, but do our calendars actually reflect those priorities? This week on The Seismic Shift, Michelle is joined by an individual who has personally helped her make some of the biggest shifts of her professional life over the past six months. That person is former NFL coach turned executive coach, Taylor Johnson. Taylor is an expert when it comes to helping others craft that winning formula that will set them on the path towards greater connection, clarity, and confidence. Taylor and Michelle dive into it all in today’s conversation.

Given Michelle’s connection to Taylor and his strategies, they start this episode a little differently: with Michelle sharing how hearing Taylor speak at a conference led to working with him to create her own connection cadence. Taylor then goes into his own areas of expertise, walking listeners through a series of exercises to spark connection—including “the best of me” framework, how to optimize your calendar for connection, and taking a look at why it’s so important to start with ourselves and our own priorities before adding others to the equation.

This is a truly transformational conversation on the power (and logistics!) behind building connections and increasing your performance that you’re not going to want to miss!

Download "The Best of Me" exercise worksheet here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cnRb1mnI11mvCfysSjWWyqTkj-pVcTFS/view?usp=sharing

Complementary Strategy Session:
https://www.taylorjohnsonperformance.com/strategy-call

Taylor Johnson, LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorjohnsonperformance/

Taylor Johnson Performance:
https://www.taylorjohnsonperformance.com/

Paul Graham, Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule:
https://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html

CHAPTERS

00:00 Understanding Relationships: The Three Buckets
04:01 Taylor Johnson: A Journey from Sports to Coaching
07:14 The Business Athlete Concept
11:59 The Winning Formula Session
14:48 Self-Awareness Drives Performance
22:10 Optimizing Your Calendar for Connection
29:27 Creating a Connection Cadence
32:03 Planning for Connection: Annual to Daily
38:44 The Importance of Reflection and Learning
42:04 Wrapping Up: Intentionality in Relationships

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

How do we deal with a micromanaging boss? What if you are that micromanaging boss? Can leading yourself well really bring purpose to even the most mundane job functions? On this week’s episode of The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with mother-daughter consulting team Lisa McLeod and Elizabeth Lotardo to answer these questions and more—focusing on the power we can all find in being our own best leader.

Lisa is an executive coach and the author of Leading With Noble Purpose. Elizabeth is also a coach and the author of the new book Leading Yourself. Together these three dynamic leaders discuss the seismic shift this next generation of leaders is experiencing in the workplace, how to make the shift from feeling powerless to powerful at work (and why that matters), and what both the older and younger generations can learn about leadership from the other. Elizabeth and Lisa leave listeners with practical tips on everything from dealing with jerk bosses to eliminating minimizing language from your work communication.

No matter what your role, leading yourself well can change everything about how you work. Don’t miss this important episode of The Seismic Shift!

Learn more about Lisa and Elizabeth’s consulting work here: https://www.mcleodandmore.com/

Buy Leading With Noble Purpose here: https://www.mcleodandmore.com/leading-with-noble-purpose/

Check out Leading Yourself here: https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Yourself-Elizabeth-Lotardo/dp/1394238703

CHAPTERS

00:00 Finding Purpose in Work
02:50 The Shift to Leading Yourself
06:05 Generational Perspectives on Work
09:07 Mindset and Control in the Workplace
11:56 Practical Strategies for Employees
14:55 Navigating Difficult Bosses
18:10 The Importance of Communication
20:58 Empowering Yourself at Work
24:08 Closing Thoughts and Practical Tips

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

When Bart Foster was forced out of the company he founded, he was challenged to think about how to do business differently. In the aftermath his organization, Business Outside, was born—all about disrupting the ways we connect and working to foster those connections in whole new ways.

On today’s episode of The Seismic Shift, Michelle sits down with Bart—one of her good friends in business—to talk about all the ways we can think outside the box when it comes to building connections. During their conversation Bart and Michelle break down how meetings as we once knew them are changing (for the better!), why getting outside can actually help you connect in more meaningful ways, and what it means to work from your “zone of genius.” Bart closes their conversation with a gratefulness challenge you’re going to want to put into practice this week!

Learn more about Business Outside on their website: https://www.businessoutside.com/.

Grab a copy of Bart’s book here: https://bart-foster.com/businessoutside-discover-your-path-forward.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Job Crafting and Connection
01:46 Bart Foster's Journey to Business Outside
08:29 Seismic Shifts in Leadership and Business
17:38 Disrupting Traditional Meetings and Connection
23:47 Finding Your Zone of Genius and Connection

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire

Welcome to season 3 of The Seismic Shift podcast! This season Michelle is sitting down with 20 bestselling authors—diving into how their work and research is shaking up the way we live and do business. Our first guest is organizational psychologist and chancellor professor, Steven Rogelberg. Steven is an expert when it comes to meetings, specifically how to build a better meeting.

During today’s conversation Steven and Michelle take a look at the intention behind meetings, why meetings have become so arduous, and how exactly to make those meetings better—for employees and leaders alike. Steven pulls from his years of research to outline how meetings are primarily about connection, and that those connections are only made through being intentional, asking questions of your people, and ending each meeting with clear action steps. Michelle and Steven conclude their conversation by taking a look at one-on-one meetings specifically, and how these types of meetings build relational capital between leader and employee.

Thanks for tuning in to this first episode of season 3! We can’t wait to dive into more conversations that are shifting how we work and live.

Check out Steven’s newest book on one-on-one meetings here: https://www.amazon.com/Glad-We-Met-Science-Meetings/dp/0197641873.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Purpose of Meetings: Connection Over Elimination
15:20 The Importance of One-on-One Meetings
24:00 Disrupting Meetings for Meaningful Connection

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Hearts On Fire