• The Surprising Career Value of a 3-Minute Conversation

    Smart people continually miss small, strategic opportunities to connect at work. This 97% Effective Essentials episode shows how seemingly casual conversations can strengthen relationships, increase visibility, and create career momentum.

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    SHOW NOTES:

    • The power of small talk
    • Trivial conversations that are a waste of time? Why small talk matters in your career
    • The science and art of small talk
    • Practical Tip #1: One Common Data Point
    • Practical Tip #2: One Sentence (“BEST”)
    • Practical Tip #3: One Way to More Deeply Engage
    • Small talk, Big Results – But you have to do this first
    • Where to go deeper on the research and see more examples

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Michael Wenderoth is an Executive Coach that helps executives re-examine their assumptions about power, politics, and authenticity to get promoted, become more effective at work, and break glass ceilings holding them back. Having served 20 years in senior roles with companies across the globe, and then 7 years as a professional coach, he has helped accelerated the careers of clients from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of seniority, helping them get ahead – without having to sell their souls in the process. Michael is the award-winning author of Get Promoted, host of the 97% Effective career acceleration podcast, and a frequent speaker and media contributor on career advancement, leadership and navigating power and politics. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Stanford Business School Executive Education and IE Business School, where he collaborates with renowned professors, coaches, executives and experts. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford and trained as an executive coach at Columbia University (3CP).



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    15m - Sep 9, 2026
  • What Actually Gets You Promoted: The 3 Forces Behind Every Promotion

    Most people think promotions are awarded. In reality, they are built months before the decision is ever announced. Drawing from my award-winning book Get Promoted, this 97% Effective Essentials episode breaks down the three forces that shape advancement inside organizations.

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    SHOW NOTES:

    • Step #1, The Rock: Better to build your strategies on truths and evidence, not comforting fantasies
    • In organizations, the hard truth about who promotes us
    • Can’t articulate how the promotion process works in your organization? Then you need to this.
    • What is your organization promoting (vs saying it promotes)? Find out through this short exercise.
    • What’s holding you back? Kara Williams, Partner at Credera, shares what held her back.
    • All progress starts by doing this.
    • Step #2, The Map: What good is knowing north if you don’t assess the landscape?
    • Why you should first ask “Who?”
    • Peter Belmi, Professor at Darden: Your job is to find the right people!
    • How a frank talk with his boss got my client out of daydream mode and into the leadership program
    • How are you spending your time?
    • Step #3, The Snowball: Nothing happens unless something moves
    • Are you waiting for the stars to totally align?
    • Doing vs Thinking
    • Gorick Ng, Harvard Career Advisor and Author “The Unspoken Rules”: The #1 career limiting move
    • The value of being uncomfortable
    • 3 Questions, 3 Actions

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Michael Wenderoth is an Executive Coach that helps executives re-examine their assumptions about power, politics, and authenticity to get promoted, become more effective at work, and break glass ceilings holding them back. Having served 20 years in senior roles with companies across the globe, and then 7 years as a professional coach, he has helped accelerated the careers of clients from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of seniority, helping them get ahead – without having to sell their souls in the process. Michael is the award-winning author of Get Promoted, host of the 97% Effective career acceleration podcast, and a frequent speaker and media contributor on career advancement, leadership and navigating power and politics. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Stanford Business School Executive Education and IE Business School, where he collaborates with renowned professors, coaches, executives and experts. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford and trained as an executive coach at Columbia University (3CP).



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    17m - Aug 26, 2026
  • Office Politics Isn't Optional: How to Navigate It Without Selling Your Soul

    Avoiding office politics doesn't keep you out of politics. It simply gives an advantage to people who understand how the game is played. This 97% Effective Essentials episode offers three practical ways to engage with organizational politics without feeling manipulative or fake.

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    SHOW NOTES:

    • The key to unlocking career success: reframing how you see and approach office politics
    • Why are office politics unavoidable – and so important to navigate?
    • A CEO’s insight: Tough lessons learned from ignoring office politics early in one’s career
    • Office politics defined: “the mechanism by which conflicts get resolved”
    • Reframe #1: “See office politics as an engineering problem”
    • How to build abitrary social norms into your operating model
    • Reframe #2: “Think like a game developer”
    • What do you need to engage someone on your critical path?
    • Managing office politics got this VP promoted, but more importantly it enabled his more important goal: elevate and better help his team flourish
    • Reframe #3: Change the wording
    • The two-column exercise that will make you playful, curious – and see office politics in a more positive light

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Michael Wenderoth is an Executive Coach that helps executives re-examine their assumptions about power, politics, and authenticity to get promoted, become more effective at work, and break glass ceilings holding them back. Having served 20 years in senior roles with companies across the globe, and then 7 years as a professional coach, he has helped accelerated the careers of clients from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of seniority, helping them get ahead – without having to sell their souls in the process. Michael is the award-winning author of Get Promoted, host of the 97% Effective career acceleration podcast, and a frequent speaker and media contributor on career advancement, leadership and navigating power and politics. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Stanford Business School Executive Education and IE Business School, where he collaborates with renowned professors, coaches, executives and experts. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford and trained as an executive coach at Columbia University (3CP).



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    16m - Aug 12, 2026
  • Everyone Says Reinvent Yourself. They're Often Wrong.

    Before chasing the next big skill, certification, or career move, revisit the moments when you've already succeeded—because the clues to your future may be hiding in your past. This 97% Effective Essentials episode challenges the conventional wisdom that career advancement always requires reinvention.

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    SHOW NOTES:

    • The Misconception of “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There” and how it gets dangerously misapplied.
    • Don’t suppress or disregard past strengths, habits, sources of success – but do the opposite.
    • TAP YOUR PAST: the counterintuitive process that helps you creatively “mine gold” that will power you forward through new challenges.
    • How we get “stuck” at work, when our roles or situations change.
    • Whole person coaching recognizes that clients are naturally creative and resourceful.
    • Client example #1: Accelerating his network in his new company -- how Dan, bank director, resurrected his bold and proactive approach.
    • Don't immediately kill off what has served you.
    • Client example #2: Overcoming her shyness to be seen and and heard on the leadership team -- How Jasmine, finance leader, applied strategies she used when moving to a new country.
    • Find similar situations in your past life or work to identify what helped you through them.
    • Client example #3: Being told “you’re too young – you need more years in your current role” -- How Rhonda, sales director at a tech giant, applied her sales skills to overcome her company’s culture to only promote those with seniority.
    • Apply your work expertise to better manage your career.
    • Client example #4: From avoiding to embracing office politics -- How Keshav, VP at Light & Wonder, re-examined and reframed the problem.
    • Get a new perspective by looking how you or your team solves similar challenges on work problems.
    • To advance, examine and draw creative insights from your past habits, past life situations, past expertise.
    • The 3 steps and powerful questions to “Tap Your Past.”

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Michael Wenderoth is an Executive Coach that helps executives re-examine their assumptions about power, politics, and authenticity to get promoted, become more effective at work, and break glass ceilings holding them back. Having served 20 years in senior roles with companies across the globe, and then 7 years as a professional coach, he has helped accelerated the careers of clients from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of seniority, helping them get ahead – without having to sell their souls in the process. Michael is the award-winning author of Get Promoted, host of the 97% Effective career acceleration podcast, and a frequent speaker and media contributor on career advancement, leadership and navigating power and politics. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Stanford Business School Executive Education and IE Business School, where he collaborates with renowned professors, coaches, executives and experts. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford and trained as an executive coach at Columbia University (3CP).



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    16m - Jul 29, 2026
  • Why Hard Work Alone Isn't Getting You Promoted

    Most professionals focus almost exclusively on performance—and then wonder why someone else gets promoted. This 97% Effective Essentials episode introduces a simple framework that fundamentally changes how you see and approach career success.

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    SHOW NOTES:

    • Performance and PIE
    • Think about yourself as a product
    • Does this mean I should stop doing great work?
    • Why organizations are different than school and many sports
    • 3 “sad but true” research findings that reveal who gets credit, and who gets picked
    • Insight on perception from photographer Richard Waine: “You’re professional headshot is not about you.”
    • Flip the script: how do others see you?
    • “I” = Image
    • The definition of brand and a quick exercise to uncover your brand
    • A warning from executive coach Anne Marie Segal about typecasting – and the leap you need to make
    • How are you showing up?
    • “E” = Exposure, which can come in many ways
    • How award-winning speaker Alex Tremble did two things to catapult his early rise in the Federal Government
    • Exposure in a remote world
    • Do you need to make radical shifts?
    • If you don’t manage your Image and Exposure, what’s likely to happen

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Michael Wenderoth is an Executive Coach that helps executives re-examine their assumptions about power, politics, and authenticity to get promoted, become more effective at work, and break glass ceilings holding them back. Having served 20 years in senior roles with companies across the globe, and then 7 years as a professional coach, he has helped accelerated the careers of clients from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of seniority, helping them get ahead – without having to sell their souls in the process. Michael is the award-winning author of Get Promoted, host of the 97% Effective career acceleration podcast, and a frequent speaker and media contributor on career advancement, leadership and navigating power and politics. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Stanford Business School Executive Education and IE Business School, where he collaborates with renowned professors, coaches, executives and experts. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford and trained as an executive coach at Columbia University (3CP).

     



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    14m - Jul 15, 2026
  • 3 Hard Leadership Truths Most Experts Won't Tell You

    The world feels increasingly uncertain, yet much of the leadership advice we hear remains idealistic and incomplete. In this 97% Effective Essentials episode, I share three uncomfortable truths that separate effective leaders from well-intentioned ones.

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    SHOW NOTES:

    • Hard truth #1: It’s not all about collaboration (lessons from Tenille Cromwell, Chief Pilot & former Navy Mission Commander)
    • Descending into Bozeman when you can’t see the runway: “It’s not all ‘kumbaya’: There’s a time and place for absolute decision making”
    • The #1 mistake is not leaders abusing power, but their failure to use it.
    • Ask yourself: How might I be avoiding making hard decisions?
    • Hard truth #2: Think beyond hearts and minds (insight from Professor Don Moore, Haas School of Business School, and author of Decision Leadership)
    • Thinking beyond inspirational speeches
    • Leadership is about influencing the behavior of others toward a desired outcome
    • Ask yourself: How might I build systems to make it easy for people to choose wisely?
    • Hard truth #3: “Keep your damn job” (Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer at Stanford, and author of 7 Rules of Power, on a leader’s first responsibility)
    • If you lose your position or job, your ability to get stuff done will go way down
    • Ask yourself: Am I paying sufficient attention to who and what keeps in my role?
    • Summary and final thoughts

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Michael Wenderoth is an Executive Coach that helps executives re-examine their assumptions about power, politics, and authenticity to get promoted, become more effective at work, and break glass ceilings holding them back. Having served 20 years in senior roles with companies across the globe, and then 7 years as a professional coach, he has helped accelerated the careers of clients from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of seniority, helping them get ahead – without having to sell their souls in the process. Michael is the award-winning author of Get Promoted, host of the 97% Effective career acceleration podcast, and a frequent speaker and media contributor on career advancement, leadership and navigating power and politics. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Stanford Business School Executive Education and IE Business School, where he collaborates with renowned professors, coaches, executives and experts. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford and trained as an executive coach at Columbia University (3CP).

     



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    12m - Jul 1, 2026
  • The Career Shortcut Most People Never Use

    Over the summer, I'm revisiting nine of the most important ideas from the first 140 episodes of 97% Effective—from career strategy and leadership to power, promotion, and influence.

    In this first 97% EFFECTIVE ESSENTIALS episode, I call out the immense power in getting others to share their insight with you. Discover the surprisingly simple habit that has helped my clients build influence, gain visibility, and accelerate their careers.

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    SHOW NOTES:

    • Two reasons why you need to open doors and build relationships with people at work
    • Why seeking advice feels counterintuitive – but is powerful and highly beneficial
    • Four situations where seeking advice pays huge dividends
    • Situation #1: When Sam sought a mentor or sponsor
    • What’s wrong with “Let’s catch up for coffee” and “Can I pick your brain”
    • Situation #2: When Dave sought clarity on the path to promotion
    • The important of getting your boss’s perspective
    • Situation #3: When Jack sought support for his proposal
    • The “meeting before the meeting” to build allies and avoid surprises
    • Situation #4: When Alex turned an adversary into an ally
    • Ways to seek advice from someone you probably detest
    • Three mistakes to avoid when asking advice

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Michael Wenderoth is an Executive Coach that helps executives re-examine their assumptions about power, politics, and authenticity to get promoted, become more effective at work, and break glass ceilings holding them back. Having served 20 years in senior roles with companies across the globe, and then 7 years as a professional coach, he has helped accelerated the careers of clients from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of seniority, helping them get ahead – without having to sell their souls in the process. Michael is the award-winning author of Get Promoted, host of the 97% Effective career acceleration podcast, and a frequent speaker and media contributor on career advancement, leadership and navigating power and politics. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Stanford Business School Executive Education and IE Business School, where he collaborates with renowned professors, coaches, executives and experts. Michael holds an MBA from Stanford and trained as an executive coach at Columbia University (3CP).

     



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    18m - Jun 17, 2026
  • EP144 – Chris Fenning, Award-Winning Author: Bad Meetings Cost More Than Time — Here’s How to Fix Them

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    Every meeting you lead is also a reputation event—and a leadership audition: people leave judging not only the meeting, but you. This episode of 97% Effective takes aim at the mother of all time sinks at work: meetings. Host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Chris Fenning about his latest book, Effective Meetings: Great Results, Less Pain, Every Time. They cover the practical essentials — how to open a meeting, keep it on track, and manage people who derail it — but also the issues most leaders avoid: the silent reputational hit you take when you run a bad meeting, why AI can summarize meetings but cannot fix the human judgment behind them, and when the best meeting is no meeting at all. If people quietly complain about meetings in your company — or, let’s be honest, the ones you run — this episode will give you practical ways to make them sharper, shorter, and more useful.

    SHOW NOTES

    Michael and Chris demo

    • TPO in real time (Topic-Purpose-Output)
    • The forgotten second step: checking that everyone is aligned

     

    The real reason he wrote his latest book

    • Why meetings were the next workplace problem Chris had to tackle
    • The hidden “meeting tax”: how bad meetings drain time, money, attention, morale, and credibility
    • Calculating the tangible dollar cost of a bad meeting
    • Calculating the intangible cost -- to your reputation – from running a bad meeting
    • Companies have spending controls, but no controls over calling people into meetings that don’t produce anything
    • The shocking MIT stats: online shopping, mobile games, and proof that many people shouldn’t be in the meeting at all


    Before the meeting: Keys to preparation

    • The single biggest impact you can make
    • Why AI can take notes and see patterns– but cannot decide why your meeting exists
    • Why Chris thinks agendas are not the “quick fix” solution to improving your meetings
    • Don’t schedule a meeting unless you can first answer three points
    • How everything – who you invite, how you invite them and how you run the meeting -- all starts with TPO (Topic-Purpose-Output)
    • Three questions to ask to determine if you even need a meeting
    • Preparation is valuable – and doesn’t have to be a time suck

     

    During the meeting: How to keep it from going off the rails

    • Top tip about running a virtual meeting
    • Ways to improve how you show up on camera online
    • Managing the person who disrupts and derails your meeting
    • What to do when a meeting feels good, but it is not advancing
    • How to cut someone off without becoming the office Darth Vader

     

    Practical gems

    • “Finding your sweet spot” – the healthy middle ground between Micromanager and Lord of Chaos
    • Top tip on making meetings better if you don’t lead them
    • The 97% Effective way to nudge a bad meeting leader: leave Chris’s book on their desk
    • The next exciting project for Chris

     

    BIO AND LINKS

    Chris Fenning helps professionals master their communication at work. Whether it is helping experts talk to non-experts, teams talk to executives, or simply being able to start a message clearly. Chris's practical methods are used in organisations like Google, JP Morgan, and NATO, and have appeared in the Harvard Business Review. He is also the author of four award-winning books on communication and training that have sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide. Find out how Chris can help you at www.chrisfenning.com

     

    Connect with Chris

     

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    47m - Jun 3, 2026
  • EP143 – Dr. Ruohao Chen, Researcher & Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University: China, AI, and the Future of Coaching and Leadership

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    What happens when China, AI, and Western coaching collide? Dr. Ruohao Chen, leadership researcher at Columbia University, believes we have an unprecedented opportunity before us. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Dr. Chen what Americans and Chinese can learn from each other— and why the future of coaching and leadership may depend on blending ancient wisdom, human presence, and AI-enabled scale. Drawing on Dr. Chen’s research and work with 300 Chinese coaches, this conversation goes beyond the U.S.-China rivalry to ask a better question: what if the next leadership edge comes from learning across the divide?

    SHOW NOTES

    Dr. Chen’s path

    • How a high school teacher in China rose to start an edtech company and become professor at Columbia University
    • Gloom? Two reasons why Dr. Chen is optimistic about the the US and China relationship
    • On American vs Chinese thinking: “In terms of culture we’re quite different, but in terms of nature we’re actually quite close to each other”

     

    Dr. Chen’s early research

    • What China’s education entrepreneurs do different: reserving money--and tapping into ancient philosophy and relational learning.
    • How his research makes him a cross-cultural bridge, and offers valuable insight from China and the US in the era of AI

     

    The growth of coaching in China

    • Inner creativity, giving space, and deep reflection to come up with the “aha moment”: How Buddhist and Confucian teaching mirror the core tenets of Co-active coaching
    • The “coaching club” that provides weekly seminars and workshops to 300 coaches in China
    • “The care for human dignity” – what most surprises Chinese about Western coaches
    • What China’s coaches find most valuable from their US peers: “the care for human dignity,” a systematic approach to coaching, and how to commercialize one’s practice

     

    Insights from his current research

    • “Not skill improvement, but a change in perspective”: The surprising insight from what most helped unemployed Chinese return to the workforce
    • Will AI replace human beings and be more effective coaches?
    • Situations where people prefer human coaches – and where AI has the biggest advantage
    • Where his latest research on AI entrepreneurs is leading him


    BIO AND LINKS

    Dr. Ruohao Chen, is a leadership researcher and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Adult Learning & Leadership program at Teachers College, Columbia University. He holds an Ed.D. in Adult Learning & Leadership, and his work focuses on strategic thinking, transformative learning, and leadership development that integrates Eastern and Western wisdom. Dr. Chen designs and leads leadership development programs through the Huber Institute for Organizational Learning at Columbia University, attracting talented and experienced leaders from China and across Asia. He is a certified coach through the Columbia Coaching Program and served as the Paper Track Chair for the International Columbia Coaching Conference 2025. He previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Center on Chinese Education at Teachers College, consulted with Harvard Business Publishing, and founded Education for Growth, a global learning community of over 10,000 educators and practitioners. In 2023, he completed his doctorate and was selected as Teachers College’s commencement speaker, becoming the first Chinese graduate to deliver the address in the institution’s 136-year history. Outside of work, Dr. Chen is also a certified fitness trainer and an amateur cello player.

     

    Connect with Dr. Ruohao Chen

     

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    53m - May 20, 2026
  • EP142 – Rebecca Zucker, Partner at Next Step Partners – It’s Not a Checklist: Why High Performers Fail at Relationships—and Stall Their Rise

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    To rise to the leadership ranks, you need to work with critical stakeholders. And the key to doing that effectively, says leadership expert Rebecca Zucker, is to form deeper relationships.

    How do most high performers get relationships wrong – and stall their rise? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth and Rebecca Zucker go deep on how to deepen relationships, so you not only get to the leadership ranks, but thrive there. They discuss tasks vs relationship balance —and the connection between trauma, trust and overturning our immunity to change. Rebecca draws from decades coaching senior leaders and her training as a trauma informed coach. If you approach building relationships as a checklist, this episode will help you see the more important layer you’ve been missing.

    SHOW NOTES

    • Why deepening relationships is critical
    • How we are hurt by a myopic focus on tasks and “getting shit done”
    • Thinking about relationships as “the channel through which things happen”
    • The importance of being attuned to your task vs relationship balance

     

    Helping leaders deepen relationships

    • Managing the trap of being in the weeds and the limiting belief that “I have to do it”
    • Doing vs being: how do you see and view relationships?
    • The bamboo finger cuff challenge: why you need to let go and just be present and attuned

     

    Trauma, distrust and overcoming deeply held beliefs and behaviors

    • “Moving fast is a trauma response: we move fast so we don’t feel… which results in people not feeling connected”
    • The dynamic you create when you walk in the room with distrust
    • “The antidote to distrust is not trust – it’s being conscious of the distrust”
    • How our beliefs and assumptions that served us in the past -- become our downfall
    • How Rebecca creates space for clients to open up and explore
    • The big block for Type 3 Achievers: “When we can’t feel our own feelings, we can’t feel other people’s feelings, which gets in the way of connection”

     

    Realizing change

    • Developing the skill to “slow the f down” and expand your container
    • “If you’re approaching building a relationship with a checklist, that’s not going to work”
    • How to control yourself and slow down – when everything in your company is whirling fast?
    • The importance of not taking on other people’s anxieties
    • Coping strategies vs healing
    • Emotional boundaries and staying on your side of the net

     

    Noticing and Feedback

    • The skills of “continuous double-clicking” to notice, getting real-time feedback, paying attention to self-protective reactions
    • Inner vs outward defensiveness
    • Tips on getting real feedback from your reports
    • How feedback can improve a relationship – when it is done well
    • Having hard conversations but not making someone feel like a fool

     

    Lightning round: Hard truths, biggest influences, and 25 years of Next Step Partners

    BIO AND LINKS

    Rebecca Zucker is founding parter at Next Step Partners, which serves global clients based out of San Francisco, USA. An expert in executive coaching as well as leadership and career development, Rebecca coaches C-level executives and other senior leaders across the globe. She is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes.com and is frequently quoted in the press on career and leadership issues. Rebecca graduated as valedictorian from the Leonard N. Stern School of business at NYU and later received her MBA from Stanford. She then worked as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs in New York and held leadership positions at Disney EMEA in Paris and at Robertson Stephens. She received her coaching training and certification from the Coaches Training Institute and from Minds at Work. Rebecca is certified as a trauma-informed coach.

    Connect with Rebecca


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    43m - May 6, 2026
  • EP141 – Dr. Michael Brenner, Founder and CEO, Right Chord Leadership – Strike the Right Chord: What Leaders Can Learn from Musicians

    This episode is dedicated to the memory of Michael Senturia.

    Ever feel like your leadership team isn’t in tune, or that you hit the wrong note with people at work? Today’s guest says the world of jazz has the answers. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth explores what leaders can learn from jazz musicians with Dr. Michael Y. Brenner, CEO of Right Chord Leadership. They discuss Dr. Brenner’s new book, Strike the Right Chord, and the connection he makes between musical harmony and effective leadership. If you are tired of the same old leadership cliches, transport yourself in this episode to the world of jazz, where you’ll see your leadership challenges through a refreshingly different and powerful new lense.

    SHOW NOTES

    Mike’s path

    • The record that changed his trajectory: “They’re making that up as they go? I gotta learn how to do that!”
    • Copy writing, working at QVC, and his hard truth about leadership

     

    Lessons for leaders

    • How jazz musicians approach their craft
    • Keys to collaboration: “Jazz attitude” and walking the line between structure and chaos
    • A novel new framework: Mike’s CHORD model for leadership
    • What jazz teaches us about different profiles working in harmony – and how Mike uses DISC to help teams do that in practice
    • Lessons from Mike’s doctoral research in Canada: what leaders learn from artists
    • “When you hit the wrong note, it's the next note that makes it good or bad.”

     

    Dealing with the messy part of leadership

    • Is the goal of leadership to achieve harmony?
    • Respect, support – and the need for tough love
    • The key to managing egos and managing up: “Serve the music”
    • Why we still get crappy leaders who don’t embody the qualities Mike describes
    • A novel way to think about authenticity: Having a “foundation of voice” but being able to adapt to the situation

     

    BIO AND LINKS

    As founder and CEO of Right Chord Leadership, Dr. Michael Brenner collaborates with leaders and teams to strengthen the essential skills needed for peak performance. He achieves this by drawing on more than 25 years of experience as an international leadership consultant, executive coach, keynote speaker, and educator, and more than 40 years as a professional musician. Michael holds a doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Adult and Organizational Development from Temple University. He plays in two bands based in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Strike the Right Chord is his first book.

     

    Connect with Dr. Michael Y. Brenner


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    48m - Apr 22, 2026
  • EP140 – Jon Wortmann, Executive Coach and Author “The Nine Tendencies”: Why You’re Not Being Heard (And How to Fix It)

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    Every misunderstanding contains a small “miss” in how we communicate—and Jon Wortmann, today’s guest, can show you how to fix that. Jon’s work helps you make the small adjustments to connect better with everyone in your life, and elevate your leadership. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Jon Wortmann, executive coach and sports performance coach, about his latest book “The Nine Tendencies.” They walk through practical ways to understand our tendencies, adjust your communication style, and deal with the most challenging people. Jon also discusses his work as a minister and sports performance coach, which will get you thinking more deeply about your spiritual life and the habits of peak performers.

    SHOW NOTES

    Jon’s path from minister to peak performance coach

    • The mental health challenges that led him to the ministry
    • How “learn how to calm my brain” gave him first-hand experience in his field
    • The decision to go from minister to full-time coach
    • On where Americans are increasingly spiritual: “I have more conversations about spiritual life, ironically, as an executive coach than I did some weeks in a spiritual community.”
    • The Chaplain at Carleton College that helped Jon the most: “To not know where you have options is where the problem was.”


    Insights from his book, The Nine Tendencies

    • Hard truth about communication: People need to get really good at getting to the point
    • Does your audience want the details first, or the bottom line first?
    • How Jon’s communication got him fired by his CEO client
    • Is awareness of your communication tendencies enough for you to make a switch?
    • “Personality lives on a spectrum, tendencies are binary”
    • The Nine Tendencies: The way we think, how we add color, the way we share ideas
    • Does Jon overlook body language?
    • How Jon’s book is different and the main message he wants readers to take away
    • What to do if someone else’s communication pattern drives you nuts

     

    Practical Communication Tips

    • How to assess our tendencies, those of others—and the ultimate metric of communication success
    • People value you more when you adjust to their communication style
    • Three ways to handle someone is difficult to communicate with
    • How remote work impacts our Nine Tendencies

     

    Insights from his work as a chaplain and sports performance coach

    • Lessons from his spiritual teaching: Everybody is great, but nobody has helped most people find those things
    • “Every brain is different”
    • Does Jon miss his spiritual work?

     

    BIO AND LINKS

    Jon Wortmann is an executive coach and trainer, author, and sports performance coach. A graduate of Carleton College and Harvard University, his books, Mastering Communication at Work and Hijacked by Your Brain, were #1 best-sellers in 22 categories on Amazon. He has delivered over 3500 trainings in 13 verticals with global clients on 46 topics including communication, resilience, and trust. His professional golfers play on every professional tour, and he was voted a coach of the year in Big East conference with UCONN Golf in 2021. His new book, The Nine Tendencies, systematically defines the critical communication adjustments which transform relationships and teams.

    Connect with Jon

     

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    55m - Apr 8, 2026
  • EP139 - David Matthew Prior, Founder at Getacoach.com —Team Coaching: The Science of Effective Leadership Teams

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    Most leaders work 1-1 with executive coaches – but few use them to coach their entire leadership team. In this episode, 97% Effective host Michael Wenderoth explores the emerging field of leadership team coaching with David Matthew Prior, who has been at the forefront of organizational coaching for more than two decades. Michael and David discuss the science of effective teams—and how team coaches help leaders turn a collection of executives into a true team. David also shares his own path into the coaching world–and where traditional executive coaches must shift their approach to effectively serve leaders and their teams. If you are a leader or team member—or a coach or consultant who supports leadership teams—you’ll gain practical insights on how to assess and increase a team’s effectiveness.

    SHOW NOTES

    • The Rise of Leadership Team Coaching
    • David’s path from banker to actor to coach—and the surprising way his professional training as an actor has helped him coach teams
    • Recent trends driving the need for team coaching
    • How team coaching and group coaching differ: “All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams”
    • The importance of designing and structuring teams: “You can’t just show up and hope that the magic is going to occur.”

     

    The Science of Effective Teams

    • Hard truth: there’s little evidence that simply coaching team behaviors improves team performance.
    • The 3 core elements of an effective team—and the 6 conditions that influence its effectiveness
    • The multiple roles a team coach must play: facilitator, educator, consultant, and coach
    • The 60:30:10 rule: where team coaches actually spend their time

     

    Lessons from “crashing and burning” in David’s early coaching engagements

    • The one condition where David spends most of his team coaching effort
    • What effective teams and geese have in common
    • The two signals David hones in on at the outset, to best assess a team’s dynamics
    • How a team coach handles internal team politics
    • The importance of speaking truth to leaders, and why team coaches need to have their own external support team

     

    David on Teaching Coaches and AI

    • “Coaches want a playbook--how to execute it—but it’s more complex than that.”
    • Why David is seeking to bring more human capabilities into the team coaching space


    BIO AND LINKS

    David Matthew Prior, MCC, BCC, ACTC, brings 25 years of organizational coaching experience as a Master Certified Coach (ICF credentialed) based in the New York City Metropolitan area. His work in coaching executive and senior leadership spans internationally and across dozens of industries. Leveraging experience in coaching, finance, ethics training, and theater performance, David has had the honor to structure and teach in the organizational coaching program at Columbia University, guide and coach more than 1,000 senior leaders in more than 30 countries, train 5,000+ executive coaches and create results for more than 100 organizations. He is the founder of Getacoach.com, where he can be reached.

     

    Connect with David

     

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    47m - Mar 25, 2026
  • EP138 – Ruby Au, Search Fund Entrepreneur – The Little-Known Career Path to Entrepreneurship: Inside Search Funds

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    In the past year, host Michael Wenderoth saw a huge jump in Stanford MBAs pursuing an alternative career path. When he sought to learn more, everyone pointed him to today’s guest, Ruby Au, a 2025 Stanford Business School graduate who chose the search fund path. In this episode of 97% Effective, Michael and Ruby discuss search funds, the hot alternative path to entrepreneurship, and why it is experiencing a surge in interest among MBAs, top talent—and investors looking for strong returns. Most people are familiar with private equity and venture capital, but far fewer understand search funds, so Michael and Ruby break down the nuts and bolts of the model, where entrepreneurs raise capital to search for, acquire, and operate an existing small business. Ruby also shares insights she gained from hundreds of coffee chats with industry insiders. If you feel constrained by working in big companies—but don’t have the stomach for a risky start-up, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Search—and Ruby’s insights—may open your eyes to the growth and impact that can come from the small, unsexy businesses that quietly power our economy.

     SHOW NOTES

    What Search Funds Are – and How They Work

    • How Ruby discovered search, and why it felt like a best-fit
    • What search fund investors are looking for in the entrepreneurs and companies they back
    • The “search phase” and the “acquisition/operating” phase
    • Why “boring” companies that don’t make headlines can be great businesses
    • Why many business sellers see search as a unique succession plan

     

    Why Search Funds Are Taking Off – and Where They Are Going

    • “An asset class that started to post 35% IRRs”
    • The most successful search outcome of all time: from roadside rescue to that little purple logo at your Amazon checkout
    • As money pours in, does mentorship and the traditional model scale?

     

    Ruby’s Insights – What You Won’t Find in Reports

    • How Ruby was taken off guard by the close-knit search ecosystem
    • Why she started her blog Succession Story
    • Ruby’s sector focus and what she wants to get out of her search process
    • 3 insider insights: How new investors are challenging the traditional search model; how to find the right business for you; and how search can reshape how you view social impact

     

    BIO AND LINKS

    Ruby Au is a search fund entrepreneur and Principal at Succession Story LLC. Her career began in Nairobi, Kenya, where she founded an edtech venture acquired in 2020. She later launched the African office for San Francisco-based Endless Computers and served as Head of North America for the green search engine, Ecosia. Ruby graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees in Business Administration and Environmental Studies from the University of Southern California and holds an MBA from Stanford, where she served on the leadership of Stanford's Search Fund Club. Ruby enjoys SCUBA diving, salsa dancing, boxing, and traveling, having visited over 35 countries across five continents.

     

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    45m - Mar 11, 2026
  • EP137 – Deborah Grayson Riegel, Founder of TheMeMenu.com: What Happens When a Leadership Coach Teams up with a Celebrity Chef

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    Most women have lived as the side dish – supporting everyone else while putting themselves last. When I shared that line with my wife, she didn’t hesitate: “That’s me.” In this episode of 97% Effective, I speak with Deborah Grayson Riegel — executive coach, leadership communications expert, and co‑creator of TheMeMenu, a new personal growth platform designed for women over 50 who are ready to reclaim agency, imagination, and momentum in their lives. Deb shares how she teamed up with celebrity chef Carla Hall to build something that blends coaching, creativity, and AI — all through the metaphor of cooking and their Six Flavor framework. We discuss what’s different for women 50+, how AI can democratize coaching (and where humans still matter most), and what partners can actually do — practically — to support the women they love. I also share what surprised me most in this conversation — including what I learned after asking my own wife what actually helps (hint: “How can I help?” isn’t always it). By the end of this episode, you’ll see cooking as a powerful lens for work and life. While The ME Menu is designed for women over 50, the key message — navigating obligation and agency — applies to anyone ready to write their next chapter.

    SHOW NOTES

    TheMeMenu story

    • Why so many women spend decades as the “side dish,” what it means to reclaim main-dish energy – and why that matters
    • How Deb connected with Carla Hall, celebrity chef, and why the collaboration clicked so well
    • What TheMeMenu actually is: A way of thinking and being + 6-week self-paced coaching program + An AI-powered “Sous Chef” for spot-coaching
    • What makes TheMeMenu unique: Built by women over 50 for women over 50, Carla Hall’s “secret sauce”, and a mission to democratize access to coaching
    • Why Deb sees AI as a complement to human coaching, not a replacement


    Inside the Collaboration

    • Deb, Carla, and Kirsten: three women, three strengths
    • Their creative process: cooking vs baking
    • Why “nothing works if the raw ingredients aren’t good”
    • The importance of creating their “mise en place”
    • Over 100 iterations – and why “there’s no such thing as done”
    • Building a product while the technology was still emerging

     

    Practical Takeaways

    • What partners, spouses, kids, and friends can most do to support the women in their lives
    • Two powerful questions to ask – and 1 micro-behavior that matters
    • Why “How can I help?’ can be taxing – and why it’s often better to just make offers
    • Thinking in terms of a lifelong conversation, not a one-time check-in
    • Lightning Round laser insights: Deb on the hard truth about personal change, the key to collaboration, the power of her summer in Spain, and the focus of her new book, Aim High and Bounce Back: A Successful Woman’s Guide to Rethinking and Rising Up from Failure

     

    BIO AND LINKS

    Deborah Grayson Riegel, MSW, PCC is a keynote speaker, leadership communications expert, executive coach, and author. She is the co-creator of TheMeMenu.com, a self-paced coaching platform designed to help women reclaim purpose and momentum in midlife and beyond. Deb is a regular contributor for Harvard Business Review, Inc., Psychology Today, Forbes, and Fast Company – and author of multiple books include Go to Help, Overcoming Overthinking, and her newest book, Aim High and Bounce Back (2026), which explores how women experience failure differently — and how to rise after setbacks. She is a certified executive coach (ICF PCC) and holds a BA from University of Michigan and MSW from Columbia University.

     

    Connect with Deb

     

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    39m - Feb 25, 2026
  • EP136 – Dina Denham Smith, Executive Coach and Author of Emotionally Charged – Emotions Are Money: The Leadership Skill Nobody Trained You For

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    Most leaders were taught to leave their emotions at the door. Today’s guest says that advice isn’t just outdated — it’s costly. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth sits down with Dina Denham Smith, executive coach and bestselling author of Emotionally Charged, to unpack why emotional skill is now a core leadership capability, not a “soft” add-on. Drawing on behavioral science and her work as an executive coach and strategic advisor, Dina explains why emotions are data, how leaders unknowingly perform massive emotional labor, and what it really takes to manage triggers, prevent burnout, and unlock performance. As Dina puts it: “Emotions are money.” By the end of this conversation, you’ll see why ignoring emotions is bad for you and bad for business – and what to do instead.

    SHOW NOTES

    Dina’s story — and why this work matters

    • One surprising thing about Dina you won’t find on the internet
    • How Emotionally Charged would have helped Dina earlier in her own career
    • What sparked Dina’s interest in the science of emotions
    • How the pandemic and technology shifts dramatically increased the emotional demands placed on leaders


    Core ideas from Emotionally Charged

    • The key takeaway: Emotions are information
    • “Emotions are money”: how feelings directly translate into performance, retention, and results
    • The biggest myth Dina wants to retire: that emotions get in the way of good business decisions
    • What “emotional labor” really means — and why research shows leaders perform as much of it as customer service professionals (and in more complex ways)
    • The three layers of every emotion: physiology, cognition, and behavior
    • Why suppressing emotions is like trying to hold beach balls underwater

     

    Practical tools you can use immediately

    • Beach balls, masks, and “letting it all hang out”: finding the right balance at work
    • Why expanding your emotional vocabulary dramatically improves self-regulation
    • Dina’s BRAVE framework for managing triggers in real time: Breathe, Refocus, Accept, Verbalize, Engage
    • Restoration (not “self-care”): four evidence-based ways leaders recover from emotional strain: Detachment, Relaxation, Mastery, Control

     

    Power, leadership, and team culture

    • Why leaders consistently underestimate their emotional impact
    • How power amplifies everything you feel and show
    • Why everyone cues off their leader’s emotional signals (often unconsciously)
    • How leaders can normalize emotional expression on their teams — without turning meetings into complaint sessions
    • Simple ways managers can reset emotional culture inside their own sphere of influence
    • Dina’s reminder: emotional skills are learnable — and improvable at any stage of your career.

     

    BIO AND LINKS

    Dina Denham Smith is an executive coach and strategic advisor who helps senior leaders build their capacity, scale their impact, and thrive in complexity. For more than a decade, she has partnered with executives at some of the world’s most successful companies, helping them navigate the demands of operating at the highest levels. Dina holds an MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and she is credentialed by both the ICF and EMCC as an executive and team coach. A prolific thought leader, Dina has published more than 60 articles on leadership for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, and other premium outlets. She is the lead author of Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work (Oxford University Press, 2025).

    Connect with Dina

     

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    46m - Feb 11, 2026
  • EP 135 – Alexa Samaniego, Presentation Coach & Behavioral Researcher at Stanford University – You Are Performing at Work: How You’re Really Judged

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    “If you want the social benefits of being authentic, how you feel inside may have very little to do with it.” At work, we like to believe we’re evaluated on substance. In reality, we’re constantly being judged on how we perform— how authentic we seem, how prepared we appear, and how natural we look like in our role. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Alexa Samaniego, Presentation Coach and Doctoral Researcher at Stanford University, about how we judge performances and performers — and why those judgments matter far more than most people realize. Drawing from behavioral research, one-on-one presentation coaching, and her background in theater and the performing arts, Alexa challenges some of the most comforting things we believe (“just be yourself,” “don’t over-rehearse,” “there’s universal best practices for presenting”) and replaces them with a more honest view of how credibility, competence, and connection are actually earned. This is not an episode about becoming fake. But it will get you thinking differently about how you show up at work if you want to better influence outcomes. You’ll leave this episode with a much more realistic understanding of how you’re really judged — and how to work with that reality, rather than against it.

    SHOW NOTES

    • Alexa’s path from theater and the creative arts to doctoral research and presentation coaching
    • How her background in performance shapes the research questions she studies
    • What organizational behavior research looks like in practice: an overview of the PhD arc
    • Why most people under-rehearse presentations — despite clear benefits of repetition
    • Why fear of “sounding fake” leads people to underperform
    • Alexa’s two distinct definitions of authenticity: authentic to self vs. authentic to role
    • Why being perceived as authentic matters more than feeling authentic
    • Spontaneity and consistency as two key drivers of being seen as authentic
    • How researchers measure authenticity and test perceptions in lab and field settings
    • The uncomfortable truth: social benefits depend on how you come across, not how you feel
    • Why we are always playing roles at work — and why separating intentions from behaviors matters
    • “It only feels inauthentic because it’s not habitual yet”
    • Insights from actors on how to step into a role without losing yourself
    • The “outside-in” effect: how dress, voice, and physical behavior shape perception
    • Tradeoffs between authenticity, polish, and competence at work
    • Alexa’s third research stream: the double-edged sword of being (and looking) prepared
    • When preparation signals competence — and when it backfires as “trying too hard”
    • Why “everything depends”: how Alexa’s coaching changed after doing her research
    • How universal presentation advice can fail across gender, culture, and context
    • Drawing from the outside world: how Alexa’s theater background differentiates her research lens
    • Horror films, storytelling, and what they reveal about authenticity and self-expression
    • Alexa’s hard truth: research is powerful, but techniques must be practiced before being used in high-stakes settings

     

    BIO AND LINKS

    Alexa Samaniego is a Presentation Coach and a doctoral researcher in Organizational Behavior (Micro) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Her research is inspired by her background in theatre and the performing arts, and examines how speakers and audiences judge others. Her research informs her work as a presentation coach in the Stanford Oral Communication Program and with TEDxStanford. Prior to beginning her PhD, Alexa worked as a research associate at Achievers Workforce Institute and Columbia Business School. She received her BS in Business Psychology from UC San Diego and her MS in Applied Psychology from San Diego State University. Alexa also specializes in portrait photography and creating short horror films.

    Connect with Alexa


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    49m - Jan 28, 2026
  • EP 134 – Devon McConnell, Executive Coach & Pyschotherapist: Who Has Your Back? How to Navigate Your Boss, Conflict, and Stress at Work

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    Who has your back at work? Do you feel like you’re constantly walking a tightrope – high up, with the spotlight on you, and no net? That’s how many people, including senior executives, describe their experience at work – and what led Devon McConnell, an executive coach and psychotherapist, to explore what drives that stress and burnout. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Devon about her research and coaching work examining how key relationships at work – especially with our boss – shape stress, burnout, and performance. They discuss what individuals and organizations can do to better navigate conflict and pressure at work, and why stress is so often driven by relationships rather than workload. Devon explains attachment theory in clear, practical terms, shares techniques to help you manage relational conflict and regain a sense of agency, and offers a thoughtful look at how AI could improve feedback and reduce unnecessary workplace anxiety. You’ll leave this episode with a clearer understanding of what’s really driving your stress, new ways to navigate tough relationships and conflict at work —and, at a minimum, knowing that Devon and Michael will always have your back.

    SHOW NOTES:

    • The trend Devon noticed in her executive coaching practice that led her to research stress and burnout
    • Attachment science: what it really says, why it matters across different spheres of life, and how it’s often oversimplified
    • Why having key figures as safe havens enables us to explore, take risks, and perform under pressure
    • The dependency paradox: why being able to rely on others actually increases autonomy and independence
    • How attachment science helps explain why trust—especially in leaders—is so critical
    • Why your personality is not fixed: how we develop attachment strategies early in life, and how new experiences can reshape them
    • The connection to Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety—and why different language (e.g., trust vs. pyschological safety) often lands better with senior executives
    • A leadership metaphor that resonates: the importance of being a steady pilot in turbulent conditions
    • How emotional labor—not workload—is a major driver of burnout
    • “The higher you rise, the more how you manage yourself and your relationships defines your success—and how you feel about your success”
    • Practical tools from Devon, including:
    • o A powerful daily question: “What conversation are you not having—and with whom?”
    • o How to diagnose whether your boss is a primary source of your stress—and why that awareness matters
    • o How to use the Karpman Drama Triangle to understand conflict dynamics and make small shifts to regain agency
    • Navigating dependency, influence, and workplace politics more effectively
    • A bright spot: how AI — used thoughtfully — could improve feedback and reduce workplace stressors
    • Why conflict-avoidant bosses can cause more harm than openly difficult and abusive ones
    • Devon’s latest work developing and testing an AI-enabled 360 feedback tool
    • How her training in psychology and therapy has shaped her work as an executive coach

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Devon Forster McConnell is an executive coach and psychotherapist who works with CEOs and senior leaders on presence, influence, conflict management, and sustaining performance under pressure. She also researches, writes, and hosts the My Robot Boss podcast on the future of leadership in an AI-driven world and interventions for burnout and anxiety. Prior to coaching, Devon spent 20 years in Fortune 50 leadership roles at BlackRock and Wells Fargo Advisors. Devon is based in San Francisco, where she works with leaders and organizations globally.

     

    Connect with Devon:


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    47m - Jan 14, 2026
  • EP 133 – Khanh-Linh Lê, Entrepreneur & Host at Forest Builders – Daring to Do: Building Impact through Courage and Power

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    What holds you back, but more importantly what springs you forward? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Khanh-Linh Le, entrepreneur and host of the Forest Builders podcast. Khanh-Linh shares how she left prestigious corporate jobs in France and Vietnam to dive into the world of chocolate entrepreneurship – then later made the equally tough decision to leave that venture behind. Khanh-Linh speaks to the importance of asking what you actually want, why showing up and “daring to do” is your critical first step – and how convincing yourself, and repetition, is a key unlock to projecting confidence as an entrepreneur. You’ll leave this episode with a much deeper appreciation for the power that lies within you.

    SHOW NOTES:

    • When Khanh-Linh’s passion awoke: “The power of the smell of chocolate to get you to feel and see things in a different way”
    • Why do you want power?
    • The dark side of chocolate
    • “With time I’ll get closer”: The career shift from management consulting in France to chocolate in Asia
    • Serendipity and Synchronicity: The 4 AM bus ride and chance encounter with Gricha
    • Using coaching as an opportunity to step back and ask what you actually want
    • How Khanh-Linh “dared” and took the next step
    • “A lot of time you just need to show up”
    • How Khanh-Linh sees power and influence as critical to entrepreneurship
    • Communication insights for Entrepreneurs: Convincing yourself, repetition, projecting confidence
    • Patience and calmness: Reflections on projecting confidence as a Vietnamese French female entrepreneur
    • The power of a support group: Khanh-Linh and the female entrepreurs of Saigon
    • “Would a man censor himself?” – Khanh-Linh on how women often need to get out of their own way
    • Making the choice to let go
    • Khanh-Linh reflects on the power of podcasting to open doors, help you find inspiration – and show the world what you are into
    • Get started and dare to show up!

     

    BIO AND LINKS:

    Khanh-Linh Le is an entrepreneur and host of the Forest Builders Podcast. She is based in France where she supports food companies and their transition to regenerative supply chains. She previously co-founded the Cocoa Project in Vietnam and worked for McKinsey and Anheuser-Busch InBev. Khanh-Linh is from France and holds master's degrees in international management and business at HEC Paris and CEMS.



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    45m - Dec 31, 2025
  • EP 132 – Julia Bunyatov, Founder & Executive Coach at Sirmio Leadership – Leading Through Complexity: What Neuroscience Really Teaches Us

    Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

    What does neuroscience tells us about the brain-body connection? How we can utilize that knowledge to thrive amid times of uncertainty, change and fear? In this episode of 97% Effective, Michael speaks with Julia Bunyatov, executive leadership coach and founder or Sirmio. Julie discusses her work with Wall Street executives and how she applies neuroscience insights to her coaching practice. She shares how mindfulness, curiosity and optimism are the keys to leading amid uncertainty – and to approaching the important question of how we are changing as leaders with the emergence of AI. Discussed: her latest articles, how to best eliminate the brain’s prediction errors, optimism vs toxic positivity, and what it means to thrive and “create magic.”

    SHOW NOTES:

    • How Julia’s years on Wall Street informs her work as an executive leadership coach
    • The personal family experiences that led Julia to neuroscience, the science of thriving – and into coaching
    • The rock formation behind her company’s name, Sirmio Leadership
    • How do we lead through complexity – and create outcomes that could not have been predicted before
    • Addressing the soft “new age” perception of “Mindfulness, Optimism and Curiosity”
    • Mindfulness defined: Our ability to manage our attention and focus in a desired way – and observe in a non-judgmental way
    • Practical ways (beyond meditation) to become more mindful so you can deepen your self-awareness
    • Is stress good – and if so, how much do you want?
    • Curiosity: How it helps us engage our capacity to be creative and innovative
    • How mindfulness helps us when we get triggered at work
    • How empathy creates more energy in the brain body system that helps us
    • We think our brain is reactive, but it is actually predicting
    • The best way to eliminate prediction error and anxiety is through experience: the example of thriving in a snowstorm
    • One of the most important things that Coaches do
    • Optimism vs “toxic positivity”
    • Applying the process of mindfulness, curiosity and optimism to the emergence of AI: how do we collaborate and create something that did not exist before?
    • AI is absolutely about creating efficiencies in the workplace, but the more important question is how are we changing as leaders?
    • Why we need friction – and not everything should be smooth sailing
    • How Julia uses AI in her coaching practice and work
    • Julia’s take on emotions: don’t suppress them, use them as a source of energy and conduit to our results


    BIO AND LINKS:

     

    Julia Bunyatov is the founder of Sirmio Leadership, which focuses on Executive Coaching & Advisory. She is a certified Executive Coach and former C-suite leader with 30 years of experience in executive leadership, board governance, and coaching. She held senior roles including COO of Global Equities Trading, COO of Global Equity Derivatives, and Americas Risk Officer at Bankers Trust, Lehman Brothers, and Barclays. Today she supports senior leaders in aligning insight with real-world leadership to drive meaningful change. In addition to other board commitments, Julia serves as Treasurer of the Columbia Coaching Conference and is a board member of the Columbia Coaching Learning Association.

     



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    46m - Dec 17, 2025
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