About this podcast
The Action Catalyst interviews top leaders and achievers, sharing hard-earned tips and advice to help you uncover your inspiration and gain valuable insights to overcome setbacks, defeat mediocrity, and reach your goals in life, business, and beyond.
Southwestern/Great American, Inc., dba Southwestern Family of Companies, for itself and its related entities and their assigns, reserves and retains all rights to their copyrighted materials and trademarks contained in this podcast.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 500 episodes
- CLIP: Corporate Gaslighting · 3 minDr. Lois Frankel, renowned executive coach, bestselling author, and psychologist, defines the phenomenon of corporate gaslighting, and how to combat it using 5 simple words. Hear…
- Good Food, No Fuss, with Johnna French | (Holidays, Company Culture, Planning, Events) · 16 minJohnna French, the food and lifestyle influencer behind Johnna Knows Good Food, shares practical and budget-friendly tips for planning memorable office holiday parties without…
- CLIP: Saying No To Steve Jobs · 5 minGreg McKeown, bestselling author of "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less", shares the story of a man who proved a lesson about identifying the true value of one's work…
- The First 90 Days, with Dr. Lois Frankel | (Psychology, Career, Confidence, Communication) · 23 min · Episode 509Dr. Lois Frankel, renowned executive coach, bestselling author, and psychologist, shares practical career development strategies for professionals seeking to build influence…
- CLIP: 5 Minutes To Total Calm · 5 minPauline Nguyen, acclaimed entrepreneur, author, and speaker, guides the listener through a simple, 5 minute exercise which helps leaders regulate their nervous system and achieve…
- REMASTERED: Essentialism, with Greg McKeown | (Time Management, Productivity, Achievement, Value) · 17 min · Episode 141Greg Mckeown has dedicated his career to discovering why some people break through to the next level—and others don’t. The definitive treatment of this issue is addressed in…
- CLIP: Eliminating Offshoring Hesitation · 2 minJim Siti, CFO of Operation Smile, shares some common hesitations he hears in regards to offshoring talent, and why many of those hesitations, in the modern age, are unfounded…
- The Way of the Spiritual Entrepreneur, with Pauline Nguyen | (Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Stress, Workplace Culture) · 23 minPauline Nguyen, acclaimed entrepreneur, author, speaker, and founder of the world-renowned Red Lantern restaurant, shares powerful insights on emotional mastery, conscious…
- CLIP: The Apple Store / No Way Out · 3 minRon Johnson, the visionary behind the Apple Store and the iconic Genius Bar, shares the thinking behind the launch of Apple Stores, and how if he and Steve Jobs were going to do…
- Smiles Worldwide, with Jim Siti | (Nonprofit, AI, Finance, Staffing) · 26 minIn this special bonus episode of The Action Catalyst, Southwestern Talent's Martin De Waal guest hosts, sitting down with Jim Siti, CFO of Operation Smile, as he shares how the…
- Cut For Time: Mitigating Risk at Target · 2 minIn this cut-for-time clip from Episode 508 of The Action Catalyst, Ron Johnson, the visionary behind the Apple Store and the iconic Genius Bar, explains the unique strategy he…
- CLIP: Effecting Decisions vs. Effecting the Decider · 5 minRana Gujral, CEO of Behavioral Signals and former exec at Logitech and Cricut, challenges common misconceptions about AI, and argues that the greatest risk is not a dramatic…
- Overtime with Outland: Ron Johnson, Episode 508 · 4 minOvertime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam…
- Shop Different, with Ron Johnson | (Leadership, Retail, Management, Productivity) · 29 min · Episode 508Ron Johnson, the visionary behind the Apple Store and the iconic Genius Bar, shares powerful lessons on leadership, customer experience, innovation, and company culture drawn…
- CLIP: Be The Bamboo Tree · 2 minJoshua Medcalf, founder of Train 2 Be Clutch and author of Burn Your Goals and An Impractical Guide to Becoming a Transformational Leader, shares the "bamboo tree" principle of…
- The AI Instinct, with Rana Gujral | (Technology, Business, Decision Making, Leadership) · 25 minRana Gujral, former CEO of Behavioral Signals and former exec at Logitech and Cricut, explores the future of artificial intelligence, emotional intelligence, and human…
- CLIP: The Post-Click Problem · 3 minShamir Duverseau, co-founder of Smart Panda Labs and former marketing leader for brands including Disney, Marriott, Southwest Airlines, and NBC Universal, discusses how…
- REMASTERED: Burn Your Goals, with Joshua Medcalf | (Leadership, Resilience, Faith, Mindset) · 17 min · Episode 85Joshua Medcalf, founder of Train 2 Be Clutch and author of Burn Your Goals and An Impractical Guide to Becoming a Transformational Leader, shares a powerful perspective on…
- CLIP: Vulnerability, Not Models and Bottles · 3 minChris Dessi explains the role of authenticity in digital marketing, and why vulnerability is a critical leadership skill for entrepreneurs and executives. Hear Chris's full…
- Everything Clicks, with Shamir Duverseau | (Marketing, Customer Experience, Digital Strategy, AI) · 25 minShamir Duverseau, co-founder of Smart Panda Labs and former marketing leader for brands including Disney, Marriott, Southwest Airlines, and NBC Universal, discusses how…
- CLIP: Innovation Hesitation and the Aerodynamics of Creativity · 4 minRichard Braden and Dr. Tessa Forshaw, innovation educators from Stanford, explain how “innovation hesitation” holds people back, and explain how the tools of creativity are a lot…
- REMASTERED: Building Your Personal Brand, with Chris Dessi | (Branding, Career, Social Media, Business) · 19 min · Episode 167Chris Dessi, MS., Founder & CEO of Silverback Social, is a TEDx speaker, personal branding expert, author and keynote speaker. His latest book is titled Remarkable You: Build a…
- CLIP: Your Difference Is Your Destiny · 2 minDeVon Franklin—Hollywood producer, New York Times bestselling author, and leadership expert— explains how the things that make you UNcommon, are the very keys to your…
- Innovation-ish, with Richard Braden and Dr. Tessa Forshaw | (Creativity, Problem Solving, Mindset, Science) · 28 min · Episode 507In this episode, Richard Braden and Dr. Tessa Forshaw, co-authors and innovation educators from Stanford, challenge common myths about creativity and reveal why innovation is a…
- CLIP: Don't Negotiate Like Elon Musk · 5 minPay negotiation expert John Gates, explains why Elon Musk can afford to employ a very specific negotiation tactic which the average job seeker should very much NOT utilize…
- REMASTERED: How to make it in Hollywood (and Anywhere), with DeVon Franklin | (Faith, Media, Entertainment, Inspiration) · 16 min · Episode 214DeVon Franklin is a New York Times bestselling author, spiritual success coach, and the CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a production company in conjunction with 20th Century Fox…
- CLIP: Conditioned Tendencies and Diminishers · 4 minPreston Smiles, personal development leader, author, and speaker, breaks down the concepts of conditioned tendencies and diminishers, and how each one can lead to an incomplete…
- Act Your Wage, with John Gates | (Salary, Pay, Hiring, Negotiation) · 26 minPay negotiation expert John Gates, author of "Act Your Wage", shares proven salary negotiation strategies to help professionals increase compensation by 10–20% without risk or…
- CLIP: Antipatterns and Artificial Ownership · 5 minPhil Le-Brun, former McDonald’s VP and International CIO and current AWS leader, shares how companies can avoid common “anti-patterns” like excessive bureaucracy and rigid…
- REMASTERED: Victory of Victimhood, with Preston Smiles | (Personal Development, Empowerment, Habits, Inspiration) · 17 min · Episode 179Personal Development’s breakthrough power couple, Preston Smiles and Alexi Panos, have supported thousands of people who have dramatically changed their lives by participating in…
- CLIP: "It Calms Down Your Mind" · 2 minProfessional coach Shelly Smith shares one of the most common complaints she hears from her coaching clients, and the simple exercise that she uses to combat it. Hear Shelly's…
- Overtime with Outland: Phil Le-Brun, Episode 506 · 3 minOvertime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam…
- The Octopus Organization, with Phil Le-Brun | (Leadership, Teams, Technology, Strategy) · 33 min · Episode 506Phil Le-Brun, former McDonald’s VP and International CIO and current AWS leader, shares powerful leadership and organizational strategy insights from his book The Octopus…
- CLIP: Working With Bill Gates · 3 minJanice Kapner, former communications leader at Microsoft and T‑Mobile, shares the experience of interviewing and working alongside Bill Gates. Hear Janice's full interview in her…
- REMASTERED: Letting Go of Sabotaging Self-Talk, with Shelly Smith and Jennifer Bennett | (Self Improvement, Personal Development, Sales, Business) · 19 min · Episode 175Shelly Smith, a Professional Sales Coach here at Southwestern Consulting, is a natural encourager and loves to laugh hard while working hard. She honed her sales and recruiting…
- CLIP: Happiness Vs. Meaning · 3 minBestselling author and researcher Tom Rath explains that meaning—not happiness—is the key to fulfillment, emphasizing that focusing on helping others, leveraging strengths, and…
- Check Your Comms, with Janice Kapner | (Communications, Leadership, Transformation, Business) · 23 minJanice Kapner, former communications leader at Microsoft and T‑Mobile, shares expert insights on navigating high‑stakes corporate transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and…
- CLIP: Train Yourself To Be Brave · 4 minMonica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea, explains how bravery is like a muscle, and why it's only one of the many essential attributes for a successful…
- REMASTERED: Are You Fully Charged, with Tom Rath | (Wellbeing, Science, Author, Leadership) · 17 min · Episode 185Tom Rath is a researcher, author, and filmmaker who studies the role of human behavior in business, health, and well-being. He has been described by business leaders and the…
- CLIP: Lotts Creek, Kentucky · 2 minDr. Barb Rembiesa, founder and CEO of the International Association of IT Asset Management, shares how a small act of kindness on her part led to an enormously outsized impact on…
- I Bottled My Mother, with Monica Nassif | (Entrepreneurship, Mindset, Startup, Business) · 21 min · Episode 505Monica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Caldrea, reveals hard‑earned lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, and building a successful consumer brand from the…
- CLIP: Success Doesn't Mean Being Liked · 6 minNew York Times bestselling author Darren Hardy explains how, in truth, EVERYONE is an entrepreneur, but how being a TRUE entrepreneur means leaving the “herd,” which often…
- Nothing Is Everything, with Dr. Barb Rembiesa | (Kindness, IT, Business, Leadership) · 16 minDr. Barb Rembiesa, founder and CEO of the International Association of IT Asset Management, shares how small, intentional acts of kindness can create outsized impact in…
- CLIP: Brains Don't Like Doing New Things · 4 minMeg Tuohey, licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and host of the Wisdom Stripes podcast, introduces the concept of "heartprint"—the unique inner blueprint that guides…
- REMASTERED: The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster, with Darren Hardy | (Business, Sales, Author, Focus) · 20 min · Episode 93New York Times bestselling author Darren Hardy delivers a candid and practical look at why most entrepreneurs fail—and how to beat the odds. Hardy explains that the 66%…
- CLIP: Success Seldom Exceeds Personal Development · 4 minHal Elrod, bestselling author of "The Miracle Morning", shares the experience that set him down the path to self-improvement, and the snooze‑proof wake‑up strategy that KEEPS him…
- HeartPrint, with Meg Tuohey | (Psychology, Self-Help, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence) · 24 minMeg Tuohey, licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and host of the Wisdom Stripes podcast, explores why modern self‑help culture often fails women by encouraging self‑override…
- CLIP: Experience Vs. Wisdom · 2 minDr. Tony Alessandra, founder of Assessments 24x7, addresses the lessons he learned from failure, and how learning when to say "no" is the REAL test of your goals and objectives…
- REMASTERED: The Miracle Morning, with Hal Elrod | (Routine, Productivity, Mindset, Health) · 14 min · Episode 53Hal Elrod, bestselling author of "The Miracle Morning", shares the life‑changing philosophy behind his globally influential morning routine, recounts his extraordinary journey…
- Cut For Time: Going Out Like Koufax · 1 minIn this cut-for-time clip from Episode 504 of The Action Catalyst, Dr. Tony Alessandra, founder of Assessments 24x7 shares how when it was time to leave the speaking circuit, he…
