Bio for Gabrielle Dolan Gabrielle Dolan is considered a global expert in business storytelling and real communication. She is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker and best-selling author of seven books. Episode highlightListen in on how Gabrielle Dolan has been training business leaders on how to tell their stories for the last 17 years. LinksEmail: gabrielle@gabrielledolan.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielledolan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielledolan.1/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabrielledolan1?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabrielledolanconsulting/ Website: https://gabrielledolan.com/Quotes“It’ll be okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” “A life lived in fear is a life half lived.”TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsGabrielle’s father was a storyteller, and she credits him for passing on this trait. As one of eight children, she “had to tell a good story to get anyone’s attention” and learned to be self-reliant to get by. Her parents encouraged her to never give up. At 18, when she found the job she interviewed for advertised in the paper, her mother told her to apply again and she got the job.Influential Groups Gabrielle is a 5th generation white Australian born in Melbourne. She grew up on a middle-class suburban street and felt close to her extended family. She went to a Catholic school. Gabrielle believes that being a part of the corporate world has shaped who she is today. Many of her clients become her buddies. She is also a part of Thought Leaders Australia, a group of solo entrepreneurs like her, who inspire and support her.Temperament and Personality InfluencesGabrielle is an extrovert and likes to be a part of groups. She also claims to be very laid back and “willing to give anything a go.” Her daughter called her out on her resistance to admit when she’s wrong. She works to be a better listener instead of offering actions as solutions.Cultural EpiphaniesWhen Gabrielle travelled to the Northern Territory in Australia, she learned about the stories of the indigenous populations and how they have kept their culture alive for ages through storytelling. Advice to an Employer As an entrepreneur, Gabrielle helps her employees and clients be their best through challenging each other. She also finds that she grows closer to them due to the personal nature of storytelling. More Great Insights! Gabrielle urges business leaders to consider incorporating storytelling in business to better connect with employees and customers. Visit her website to get started and to read her books! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast

Gabrielle Dolan – Tell Me A Story

Bio for Rachel Gour Rachel Gour is an entrepreneurial and visionary hairstylist, salon owner and hair educator. She advocates for women’s choice and growth and has worked to help high-risk female teens get off the streets. She is also a parent to two sons.Episode highlightAs a white person raised on an Indigenous reserve with a black-fathered child, Rachel Gour knows how it feels to be immersed in a melting pot of cultures. Listen in on how she has assimilated the lessons of acceptance and love into her work as a hairdresser today.LinksEmail: rachelgour@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hair_by_rachel_l/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/changebyrachel/about/Quotes“I want to stay young and the only way that I can stay young is stay current.”“We are all one and we are all deserving of beauty and light in this world.” TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsRachel was adopted into a hardworking, academic, and humble family in Edmonton with a French-Canadian father and a British mother. From her biological family, she has learned passion, humour, and acceptance.Rachel went to the same school on a Indigenous reserve outside Edmonton that her parents taught in. She grew up in an atmosphere of mutual support and sharing. Rachel was young when she got pregnant with her first son. Her father warned her, “Some people are not going to love your baby.” This was the first time Rachel became aware of racism.Influential Groups Rachel’s family hosted many refugees in their large home, where the whole family and their guests worked together during the summers on their farm. She embraced the different cultures she was exposed to and had many life-changing experiences there.Temperament and Personality InfluencesBeing talkative has proven advantageous in both sales and when marketing her personal brand as a hairdresser. Cultural EpiphaniesRachel has learnt a lot about women by noticing and discussing the events in their lives when they’ve come in for a haircut. She helps them embrace the process of greying and ageing with dignity and grace. Advice to an Employer When Rachel first meets a client, she asks about their grievances and what they don’t like about their hair. She then asks about what they love about their hair, learning about the look and style that made them feel the best. More Great Insights! Rachel feels strongly about loyalty in the hairstyling industry and sometimes feels personally affronted when a client leaves without saying anything to her.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

Rachel Gour – Free To Be You and Me

Bio for Chris MarhefkaChris Marhefka is the CEO and Facilitator at Training Camp for the Soul and the Founder and Facilitator of the Embodied Man Community and Retreats. Episode highlightChris Marhefka was raised to be hardworking, and he followed that value until he was burned out. Listen in on how he rejected conventional notions of success to develop a more authentic relationship with himself and others around him. LinksEmail: cmarhefka@gmail.com Websites: http://chrismarhefka.comhttps://www.trainingcampforthesoul.com/?r_done=1Instagram: Instagram.com/ChrisMarhefkaQuotes“It takes a village to raise a child.”“Just because I have one way doesn’t mean it is the way.”“Life isn’t always positive... things happen.”TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsChris was around five years old when his father arrived five minutes late to pick him up from soccer practice. He inferred that he is alone in what he does and he can’t trust others completely, which showed up in his personal and professional relationships later in life.Chris was in his early teens when he was cut from his first soccer team. He realized that he had let his father down. From that moment on, Chris committed to never failing at anything because of a lack of effort. Influential Groups Chris was raised in a conservative Catholic household with a strong commitment to values and community. He credits sports with teaching him about leadership, connection and communication. Being in the student government at university helped him begin trusting people and develop integrity.Temperament and Personality InfluencesChris claims to always have had a “chameleon-like personality,” adaptable to any group and liked by all. However, he has worked to find his true identity, express his authentic self, and allow people into his inner world with trust and vulnerability. Cultural EpiphaniesChris shares that as a leader, he believed he always had the right answer and told others what to do. By asking for opinions, he opened up to other options that exist, giving him a broader perspective. Advice to an Employer Chris finds that being mindful and authentic brings out his best self in any project, and he uses breathing to achieve that state of flow. More Great Insights! Chris leads retreats six times a year and conducts various programs. Check out his website for more information on his offerings.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

Chris Marhefka – Say What’s on Your Mind

Bio for Chris MarhefkaChris Marhefka is the CEO and Facilitator at Training Camp for the Soul and the Founder and Facilitator of the Embodied Man Community and Retreats. Episode highlightChris Marhefka was raised to be hardworking, and he followed that value until he was burned out. Listen in on how he rejected conventional notions of success to develop a more authentic relationship with himself and others around him. LinksEmail: cmarhefka@gmail.com Websites: http://chrismarhefka.comhttps://www.trainingcampforthesoul.com/?r_done=1Instagram: Instagram.com/ChrisMarhefkaQuotes“It takes a village to raise a child.”“Just because I have one way doesn’t mean it is the way.”“Life isn’t always positive... things happen.”TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsChris was around five years old when his father arrived five minutes late to pick him up from soccer practice. He inferred that he is alone in what he does and he can’t trust others completely, which showed up in his personal and professional relationships later in life.Chris was in his early teens when he was cut from his first soccer team. He realized that he had let his father down. From that moment on, Chris committed to never failing at anything because of a lack of effort. Influential Groups Chris was raised in a conservative Catholic household with a strong commitment to values and community. He credits sports with teaching him about leadership, connection and communication. Being in the student government at university helped him begin trusting people and develop integrity.Temperament and Personality InfluencesChris claims to always have had a “chameleon-like personality,” adaptable to any group and liked by all. However, he has worked to find his true identity, express his authentic self, and allow people into his inner world with trust and vulnerability. Cultural EpiphaniesChris shares that as a leader, he believed he always had the right answer and told others what to do. By asking for opinions, he opened up to other options that exist, giving him a broader perspective. Advice to an Employer Chris finds that being mindful and authentic brings out his best self in any project, and he uses breathing to achieve that state of flow. More Great Insights! Chris leads retreats six times a year and conducts various programs. Check out his website for more information on his offerings.

Bio for Monique Allen Monique Allen is a Business Coach, Life-Scape & Regenerative Landscape Professional and CEO & Creative Director of The Garden Continuum, a landscape design/build and fine gardening company in Massachusetts. Episode highlightAs a bilingual Armenian-American, Monique Allen had a plethora of cultural influences in her childhood. Listen in on how she combined the many identities she holds to establish her own workplace culture in the landscaping industry.LinksEmail: Monique@TheGardenContinuum.com Website: www.TheGardenContinuum.comSocial media: @monique.allen, @thegardencontinuumLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquetgc/Quotes“When I felt the safest, it was when I was connected to the ground.”“It’s hard to believe in nature and not believe in a force that&apos;s a little bit greater than your gas pedal.”TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsAs a child, Monique visited her maternal grandparents in the Allegheny Mountains in Maryland, where she felt a “cellular connection” to nature. She grew up with a “3rd culture mindset”, living in Paris and then in an Armenian community in the United States, speaking Armenian, French and English.Influential Groups Even though Armenian cuisine is her comfort food, Monique has always felt like an “outsider Armenian”, because she isn’t as fluent in the language. Her Christian friend and her family took Monique under their wing, and she immersed herself in the religion. Temperament and Personality InfluencesMonique has a naturally positive mood and outlook but can also be serious and demanding of herself and other people, which she attributes to her “abrasive upbringing”. She has had to unlearn any destructive behaviours from the past and reconnect to her easy temperament. Cultural EpiphaniesMonique once had an employee who had the vision, skills and abilities for the job, but she couldn’t find a cultural common ground with her. When another employee said she may not be a cultural fit, Monique began learning about culture in the workplace and how that fits in with her company.Advice to an Employer Monique is a stickler for organization, clear communication and data - “Vagaries make me crazy”, she quips. However, she does not believe in micromanaging and even works in a separate space from her employees, so they can be autonomous in a “trust culture”. More Great Insights! Visit Monique’s website to buy her book, Stop Landscaping, Start Lifescaping, read her blog and access many resources to get started in this field. If you are a green industry professional, reach out to her for business coaching to scale your company to the next level.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

Monique Allen – Edge Dwellers

Bio for Monique Allen Monique Allen is a Business Coach, Life-Scape & Regenerative Landscape Professional and CEO & Creative Director of The Garden Continuum, a landscape design/build and fine gardening company in Massachusetts. Episode highlightAs a bilingual Armenian-American, Monique Allen had a plethora of cultural influences in her childhood. Listen in on how she combined the many identities she holds to establish her own workplace culture in the landscaping industry.LinksEmail: Monique@TheGardenContinuum.com Website: www.TheGardenContinuum.comSocial media: @monique.allen, @thegardencontinuumLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquetgc/Quotes“When I felt the safest, it was when I was connected to the ground.”“It’s hard to believe in nature and not believe in a force that&apos;s a little bit greater than your gas pedal.”TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsAs a child, Monique visited her maternal grandparents in the Allegheny Mountains in Maryland, where she felt a “cellular connection” to nature. She grew up with a “3rd culture mindset”, living in Paris and then in an Armenian community in the United States, speaking Armenian, French and English.Influential Groups Even though Armenian cuisine is her comfort food, Monique has always felt like an “outsider Armenian”, because she isn’t as fluent in the language. Her Christian friend and her family took Monique under their wing, and she immersed herself in the religion. Temperament and Personality InfluencesMonique has a naturally positive mood and outlook but can also be serious and demanding of herself and other people, which she attributes to her “abrasive upbringing”. She has had to unlearn any destructive behaviours from the past and reconnect to her easy temperament. Cultural EpiphaniesMonique once had an employee who had the vision, skills and abilities for the job, but she couldn’t find a cultural common ground with her. When another employee said she may not be a cultural fit, Monique began learning about culture in the workplace and how that fits in with her company.Advice to an Employer Monique is a stickler for organization, clear communication and data - “Vagaries make me crazy”, she quips. However, she does not believe in micromanaging and even works in a separate space from her employees, so they can be autonomous in a “trust culture”. More Great Insights! Visit Monique’s website to buy her book, Stop Landscaping, Start Lifescaping, read her blog and access many resources to get started in this field. If you are a green industry professional, reach out to her for business coaching to scale your company to the next level.

Bio for Raphael Adegboye Raphael Adegboye is Senior Manager, Global Risk Management with Scotiabank. He currently lives in Brampton, Ontario with his wife and three daughters. Episode HighlightBorn in Nigeria, Raphael Adegboye learned to value academic accomplishments and was taught to be silent in the presence of others. Listen in on how moving to different countries has changed his personality, taught him the importance of experience, and helped him find his voice. LinksEmail: raphaeladegboye@consultant.com Website: https://raphaeladegboye.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radegboye/Quotes“Life is not about what you do not have, life is about what you make out of what you have.” “If you want people to respect you, you have to show respect.” “There are aspects of ourselves that we can never take away.”“There is no one size fits all approach in communication and working with others.”“Learning empowers us to be true leaders, both for ourselves and the people around us.”TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsRaphael claims he was a brilliant child who was always at the top his class. In 2nd grade, he stood 5th in his class and was disappointed in himself. From that moment on, any time something doesn&apos;t go according to his expectations, he reflects on what went wrong and what he could have done better.Influential Groups Alongside two brothers and three sisters, Raphael grew up in a modest household in Lagos, Nigeria. From sharing joy and sorrows with his family, he learned the power of hope, respect, collaboration, resilience, hard work, and education.Raised a Christian, he was taught to establish good relationships with others. Growing up in Nigeria, with communities that speak over 500 different languages also shaped his worldview. Temperament and Personality InfluencesEven though Raphael is an introvert, he presents himself as an extrovert in his professional life.Cultural EpiphaniesRaphael has realized that going out for group lunches in the corporate world in other countries helps strengthen work relationships, participate in important discussions, and open doors in his career. Advice to an Employer Raphael stands by the philosophy of “if perspective is wrong, objective will be wrong” and works to keep an open-minded approach so that the desired outcomes are achieved. More Great Insights! Raphael emphasizes that living in Canada affords people the opportunity to learn about themselves, different cultures and personalities, and jointly contribute to the success and prosperity of the country.

Raphael Adegboye – Sink or Swim

Bio for Dr. Cornelia (Nel) WiemanDr. Nel Wieman, Anishinaabe (Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Manitoba), is the Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority and has served as the President of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) since 2016. Episode highlightAs a First Nations child “scooped” into a Dutch family, Dr. Nel Wieman grew up struggling with her identity and culture. Listen in on how she grew into her authentic self to become Canada’s first female Indigenous Psychiatrist, now working to uplift indigenous communities. LinksEmail: nel.wieman@gmail.comTwitter: @cwiemanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cornelia-nel-wieman-0384661a/ First Nations Health Authority: https://www.fnha.ca/First Nations Health Authority in BC (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/firstnationshealthauthority/Quotes“You can’t start tackling something if you don’t acknowledge that it’s a problem, to begin with.”“It’s been a lifelong journey thinking about working on… my identity as an indigenous person.”TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsIn grade 1, Dr. Wieman was asked to write her birth announcement with details of her birth, which, being adopted, she had no knowledge of. She became “quite fiercely independent” in response to how different she was and carried that self-reliance into her work.She was a competitive track and field athlete in high school, which made her very self-focused. When a truck hit-and-run accident landed her in the hospital, she became aware of her mortality and it made her think about contributing to other people’s lives. Influential Groups Dr. Wieman felt torn that her father had indigenous friends but would not acknowledge her identity as an indigenous person. Those who grew up on the reserves with their families and speaking their languages look down upon people like her who don’t. Temperament and Personality InfluencesDr. Wieman claims that she has always been stubborn and determined. She has learnt to work and trust others in a team. She has also developed a sense of humour to lighten the dense work she does.Cultural EpiphaniesDr. Wieman has never bought into the hierarchical nature of medicine, where physicians believe that they deserve to be appreciated “just because of their title.” Advice to an Employer The best way to work with Dr. Wieman is to identify “a challenge or a goal that has to be achieved” and provide support. More Great Insights! Dr. Wieman uses the 7 Generation principle to guide her in life, which teaches that “what we accomplish in our lifetimes, the effects of that will be felt forward like waves until 7 generations into the future.” 

Dr. Cornelia (Nel) Wieman – On My Own

Bio for Eric KarpinskiEric Karpinski is a positive psychology author and speaker and has been on the cutting edge of bringing positive psychology tools to workplaces for over 10 years, with clients that include Intel, Facebook, IBM, T-Mobile, Genentech and many others. Episode highlightAs a child, Eric Karpinski moved around a lot. He hated saying goodbye to old friends but loved making new ones. Listen in on how he takes his love for friendships, harmony and positivity into his work as a positive psychology speaker and author.LinksWebsite: www.EricKarpinski.com, www.puthappinesstowork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickarpinski/Twitter: @erickarpinskiQuotes“I’m a white male and so I got to live in a world that was made for me.”“There’s just no possibility of being happy all the time. Happiness is a fleeting emotion and all we can do is plant seeds for it and hope that it grows but if we expect it to, now we’re just destroying it.” “Look for something good that you can share.” TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsGrowing up in a military family, Eric moved often across the USA, which taught him about different cultures and the importance of inclusion. Eric discovered that for four years, his father had been volunteering at a group home for people with mental health disorders. He was inspired by his father’s quiet generosity. Influential Groups As a white male, Eric recognizes the privileges and biases he grew up with as a member of the dominant culture. He consciously works towards inclusion and equity.Eric felt a sense of belonging with Burning Man Festival’s culture of gifting, love, acceptance and creativity, which helped him heal from “the disease of materialism,” leading him to his career path today.Temperament and Personality InfluencesEric has always been an extrovert and this was reinforced by moving often, finding commonality, connection and community wherever he went. Cultural EpiphaniesEric observes that the ambitious work ethic is part of the white culture, which drove him to success but away from happiness. Advice to an Employer Eric desires space to create social connection and a positive, supportive, appreciative, and communicative culture with the autonomy to reach goals on his own. More Great Insights! Eric’s book, Put Happiness To Work, lays out an ‘action buffet’ with activities to drive happiness and engagement at work. Also check out Sticky Situations, a blog he writes with his wife about using positive psychology at work. You can also reach out to him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Eric Karpinski – The Good Life

Bio for Joseph Fung Joseph is the CEO of Uvaro, a tech sales career accelerator, and of Kiite, a sales enablement platform purpose-built to provide sales teams with the information they need when they need it. Episode highlightJoseph Fung was raised with encouraging faith in his abilities, a strict culture of excellence and no concept of procrastination. Listen in on how he has created a workplace culture reflective of these values as a CEO. LinksEmail: joseph@uvaro.comWebsite: https://uvaro.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/uvaro.life/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uvaro.life/Twitter: https://twitter.com/uvarolifeQuotes“That sense of not quite fitting in helped push me to choose groups that were a little bit less typical.”“Your path is your choice, and that’s okay.” “You could be mocked for not belonging; that’s a problem.” TakeawaysChildhood IncidentsJoseph’s father is from Hong Kong and always challenged him to do his best, holding him accountable to quality, drive and purpose. His mother is of mixed European heritage. She balanced his father’s perspective as a supportive enabler, encouraging him to chase after his dreams without delay.Influential Groups Joseph grew up in Toronto but travelled for work and student exchange programs. His childhood was characterized by a “lack of belonging”, but this helped Joseph feel at home with an atypical group - the circus community. Temperament and Personality InfluencesJoseph describes himself as “a youthful 40-year-old”. He is an INTP on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. The “I”  for introversion is his default mode to recharge himself after being in the public eye as an entrepreneur. He also confesses to having an absurd sense of humour. Even though he considers himself impatient, he acknowledges that patience is a choice.Cultural EpiphaniesGrowing up, Joseph’s family’s way of doing things was different from that of his friends. He was used to eating with chopsticks and struggled with a knife and fork when he was invited for dinner at his friend’s house. When he was nine, his parents let him and his siblings use power tools to help construct their house, which shocked their friends. Advice to an Employer Joseph has a “voracious appetite for information”. He also uses feedback extensively, sharing it and requesting it at every step. More Great Insights! For anyone looking to transition to a new career, irrespective of their background, Uvaro runs a training course to help begin a career in technology sales. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cultureandleadershipconnections)

Joseph Fung – Why Not Now?

Discover what cultural influences have formed the careers of noteworthy leaders in a variety of professions, by exploring the groups that shaped who they are today. Learn about the collective context and experiences that affect their worldview, leadership style, workplace communication and behaviour. Culture and leadership connections: where culture, communication, and context meet at work.

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Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast

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