Activating Hope

Activating Hope

by Activating Hope
ManagementCareers
Season 3

The Power of Curiosity - The Curiosity Curve

In this engaging conversation, Hope Zoeller and Debra Clary explore the transformative power of curiosity in leadership and organizational culture. They discuss how curiosity can serve as a competitive advantage, drive performance, and enhance employee engagement. Debra shares her journey of research and personal experiences that led her to understand the importance of curiosity in the workplace. The discussion covers practical strategies for measuring curiosity, building a culture that fosters it, and the role of vulnerability in leadership. Listeners are encouraged to embrace curiosity as a means to inspire hope and drive positive change in their organizations.
S3 · E2
Jun 1, 2026
54:44

Leading the Business of Show Business: Vision, Legacy, and Hope at Actors Theatre

In this episode of Activating Hope, we explore the intersection of artistry and leadership with Amelia Acosta-Powell and Emily Tarquin, co-leaders of Actors Theatre of Louisville. They discuss the challenges of leading a legacy arts institution in a post-COVID world, emphasizing the importance of vision, collaboration, and resilience. The conversation also delves into the need for boundaries in the workplace, particularly for women, as discussed with Lisa Kapulitz, who advocates for creating environments where women can thrive without sacrificing their personal lives. This episode offers insights into nonprofit leadership, gender equality, and the future of theater. Takeaways Amelia Acosta-Powell and Emily Tarquin lead Actors Theatre of Louisville. Theaters face unique challenges in a post-COVID world. Co-leadership can enhance organizational resilience. Women seek respected boundaries in the workplace. Setting predictable hours benefits both employees and businesses. Empowering women to define leadership is crucial. Lisa Kapulitz advocates for gender equality in business. Creating supportive environments fosters women's success. The arts community plays a vital role in societal change. Resilience and collaboration are key to thriving in the arts.
S3 · E1
May 1, 2026
1:13:53

Boundaries that Build Balance - Redefining Success for Women at Work

Boundaries that build balance—discover how women’s desire for respect and predictability at work is reshaping leadership norms. If you’re a leader committed to fostering a sustainable, equitable culture, this episode is your essential guide to moving beyond mere flexibility toward meaningful boundaries that empower women and improve organizational health.Women today are tired of the “always-on” hustle and aren’t just asking for more flexibility—they want boundaries that are truly respected. Inspired by recent research and a New York Times article, Lisa Kaplowitz exposes the hidden costs of a culture where responding at all hours is seen as a virtue. She reveals how the relentless cycle of expectation and guilt not only harms individual well-being but also stifles women’s career advancement and workplace equity. Whether you’re a manager, executive, or HR leader, you’ll learn tangible strategies to create environments where boundaries are normalized and health is prioritized, without sacrificing productivity or credibility.
S3
Oct 1, 2026
55:08

The Clarity Game: A Leadership Tool

In this episode, Hope Zoeller and Samir Geepee explore the concept of clarity in leadership through the lens of the Clarity Game. Samir shares his journey of discovering clarity and how he developed a game that facilitates peer coaching and accountability among leaders. They discuss the importance of effective feedback, the role of curiosity in leadership, and the future of leadership development through peer coaching. The conversation emphasizes the need for self-awareness and the power of asking questions to foster growth and trust within organizations.
S3
Sep 1, 2026
1:24:18

Leading Your Way - Insights, Risk, and Resilience

In this conversation, Vanessa Green Sinders shares her insights on starting a career, emphasizing that the first job is just a stepping stone. She encourages embracing opportunities, learning from experiences, and the importance of networking. The discussion also touches on navigating career transitions and finding one's passion and purpose in the professional journey. takeaways Your first job is not your last job. Take advantage of every opportunity you get. Nothing is perfect in life; embrace the imperfections. Say yes to new experiences and learn from them. Working with good people is crucial for growth. Networking is essential for career advancement. Career transitions can lead to unexpected opportunities. Finding your passion is a continuous journey. Embrace the journey of your career, not just the destination. Learning is a lifelong process in your career.
S3
Aug 3, 2026
46:37
Season 2

Building Resilient Leadership with Optimism and Growth with Luis Velasquez

During this episode of Activating HOPE with Dr. Luis Velasquez, we’ll dive into the true meaning of resilience—why it's not just about enduring challenges but growing through them. We'll explore the powerful connection between hope and optimism and how they work together to empower leaders in times of uncertainty. Tune in for practical tools and mindset shifts that will help you cultivate resilience, inspire your team, and lead with confidence—even in the face of adversity. Whether you're navigating setbacks or seeking ways to sustain your energy and well-being, you’ll learn actionable insights to help you thrive. Dr. Luis Velasquez, MBA, PhD is an executive coach in Silicon Valley and a facilitator for the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Once a university professor and research scientist, Luis helps mid-level managers to C-suite executives around the world learn, adapt, grow, and thrive by helping them learn how to reframe their challenges and take the most beneficial next step. Luis is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and was featured in best-selling author Dorie Clark’s book, The Long Game. He is the author of "Ordinary Resilience: Rethinking How Effective Leaders Adapt and Thrive", a transformational guide designed for leaders who seek not just to survive but thrive in the face of adversity. An avid endurance athlete, Luis runs marathons, ultra-marathons, and Ironman triathlons. Drawing from his rich background and personal challenges, including recovering from a life altering medical diagnosis, Luis brings a unique perspective to the discussion of leadership and resilience.
S2 · E8
Apr 1, 2026
54:24

From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Delegation and Time Management for Leaders with Holly Golebiowski

In today’s fast-paced work environment, leaders often wear too many hats—resulting in burnout, decision fatigue, and disconnection from strategic priorities. In this episode of Activating HOPE, we’ll explore how successful leaders shift from being doers to enablers, reclaiming their time and empowering their teams in the process. Our guest, Holly Golebiowski, brings firsthand experience and actionable insights on how to break free from the trap of doing it all. We’ll discuss how leaders can identify what only they should do, how to delegate with clarity and confidence, and how to manage their time around what matters most. Whether you’re a new leader trying to stay afloat or a seasoned executive aiming to lead at a higher level, this conversation offers tools and inspiration to lead smarter—not harder. Holly Golebiowski completed her Professional Coaching Training at Coach U and has been an Executive Coach for five years. In her coaching practice and her role as Lead Facilitator of LeaderSkills, Holly works with mid to upper-level management, high-potential leaders, and struggling leaders in her coaching practice. She draws from over 25 years of business management and leadership experience, operating in roles such as a COO and Vice President of Operations at privately held companies and most recently creating and building her own successful real estate business. Holly graduated from Tiffin University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2005. She has been happily married for ten years and spends her spare time cooking and spending time with her family and friends.
S2 · E7
Mar 2, 2026
53:26

Leaders as Talent Scouts: How Great Leaders Activate the Overlooked People in Your Organization and Make Them a Source of Your Greatest Strength with Diane Bailey-Boulet

One of the key responsibilities of leadership is finding and growing talented people to enable team and organizational success. And while we hear a lot about talent shortages these days, innovative organizations and leaders see themselves as Talent Scouts of overlooked talent. They have a mindset and superpower that helps them reduce the talent shortage by seeing the gifts of people who are already in our communities and organizations--but who may not match our pre-existing ideas of: Who’s talented What talent looks like Where talent comes from. During this episode of Activating HOPE with Diane Bailey-Boulet, we’ll discuss how leaders can activate overlooked people in their organizations and make them a source of their greatest strength. Diane Bailey-Boulet is the President of Scale Excellence LLC, a consulting and coaching firm dedicated to driving cultural transformation in organizations. With a passion for championing opportunity for all, Diane specializes in leadership development, inclusion strategies, and mentoring programs that empower individuals and teams to thrive. She is the author of Poverty to Possibility: Snapshots from a Yorkshire Boyhood, a powerful memoir about her father’s journey from a Depression-era coal-mining village in England to a life of leadership and resilience. Diane’s corporate experience includes: Leading a global account team at CoachSource in placing executive coaches; Leadership development at Humana, where she designed programs for top executives and scaled enterprise-wide mentoring and women’s leadership initiatives. Previously, as Vice President of Client Solutions for Better Communications (now The Ariel Group), she helped leaders in global companies turn their everyday writing into a competitive advantage for building relationships and selling ideas. An International Coaching Federation-accredited coach, Diane works with a diverse range of coaching clients—from first-generation professionals to military leaders transitioning to civilian life. She holds a B.A. in History from Boston College, completed the Evidence-Based Coaching program at Fielding Graduate University, and studied TESOL at Boston University. A first-generation British-American, Diane loves to travel, read, make music, and cook. She lives with her husband and is the proud mother of two adult daughters.
S2 · E6
Feb 2, 2026
58:07

Solo but Not Alone: Leading Lean Marketing Teams in the AI Age with Todd Krise

Most people think you need a team, office, and round-the-clock hustle to run a successful marketing team. Todd Krise is here to challenge that. In this episode of Activating HOPE, he shares how he left traditional agency life to build a solo business powered by AI and designed for freedom. You’ll hear how to launch your own setup—tools, processes, and mindset included. But this episode isn’t just about going it alone. Todd also introduces a growing network of like-minded marketers—what he calls “mercenaries”—who are building lean operations while tapping into shared tools, knowledge, and accountability. And for those leading teams, there’s a powerful takeaway: AI isn’t just for automation, it’s a tool for developing people. Todd explains how leaders can use AI to upskill team members, streamline collaboration, and create a more empowered, agile workforce. Whether you're freelancing, transitioning out of a full-time role, or guiding a team through digital transformation, this episode will show you a smarter way to grow—without the bloat, burnout, or bureaucracy. Todd Krise is the founder of MercenaryMarketing.ai, where he helps marketers and small business owners learn how to run lean, AI-powered agencies without the need for big teams or bloated systems. With a master’s degree in business communication and six years of experience teaching digital marketing as an adjunct professor, Todd blends practical know-how with a no-fluff approach to modern marketing. After leading media operations inside traditional agencies, he stepped out on his own to prove that solo operators can deliver more value—faster—when they pair the right tech with the right mindset. His mission is to help others take back control of their time and income by simplifying the business side of marketing. Todd shows how AI can power both personal freedom and team growth without adding unnecessary overhead. Through automation, clear strategy, and a little bit of grit, he helps professionals build flexible, profitable careers—without burning out or selling out.
S2 · E5
Jan 2, 2026
57:47

Mind The Pre-HistorEQ Gap™: A Revolutionary Way to Elevate Your Intellect When You Need It Most with Joe Luttrell

Leading in moments of crisis requires the higher-thinking part of your brain, your frontal cortex, to orchestrate all of your other brain components to find those stroke-of-genius thoughts that allow things to move forward instead of spiraling into an outright catastrophe. Yet this level of adversity shifts your thinking to the more primitive, survival, component of your brain, your amygdala. At your moment of existential crisis, your intellect is cut in half. What if you could instead double or triple your available intellect at these times? During this episode of Activating HOPE with Joe Luttrell, we’ll discuss how to elevate your own intellect, when you need it the most, so you can lead others involved in the crisis to do the same. Joe Luttrell is Executive Director of Client-Side Consulting Services and of EQ Leadership Seminars, LLC. He is the author of “Historeq Emotional Accountability™: How Washington, Lincoln, and Churchill Transformed Anxiety into Emotional Intellect” and worldwide seminar and webcast provider on the Emotional Accountability practice and body of knowledge. The seven principles of Emotional Accountability have been included as a primary catalyst in Northeastern University’s Transformative Leader course curriculum. Joe was a University of Louisville Delphi Center PMI Project Management Professional Instructor and SEI Capability Maturity Model Integration Complex Project Strategic Consultant. He leads Organizational Change Management and Operational Process Reengineering initiatives for fortune 500 companies. He is a three-term Past President of Kentuckiana PMI. His professional credentials include: Certified Project Management Professional (2012-2020), Certified IIBA Business Analyst Professional, Certified Six-Sigma Professional, and Certified Microsoft Dynamics Project Manager. Joe’s talks are lively, surprising, provocative, and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat while you are having fun learning the most relevant and practical topic in leadership today, Emotional Accountability.
S2 · E4
Dec 1, 2025
45:40
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