Hear ye, hear ye! Order in the podcast!

That’s right—he’s back on the bench, and the Biz-Soul mic, and bringing much-needed wisdom and wit to the wild world of leadership.

As you know, Judge Daren Margolin isn’t just any judge—he’s a retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, a former Staff Judge Advocate for Generals Jim Mattis and Dave Berger, and a man who’s handled everything from immigration cases to full-blown felony trials to 10,000 fresh-faced Marine recruits (talk about courtroom and combat readiness). Semper Fi, indeed.

Oh, and did we mention he built one of the most efficient immigration courts in the country from scratch? That’s right. 28,000+ cases a year, no excuses.

This episode, we bring Judge Margolin back for a deep dive into what it really takes to be a positive leader when the pressure’s on—from the battlefield to the bureaucratic backlog. He’s talking values, accountability, and calling people in—not out—to do what’s right.

Whether you're leading a team, a nation, or just trying to lead your Monday meetings without losing your cool, you need to hear this.

Tune in to Biz-Souls. Because leadership doesn’t have to be loud - it has to be real.

There’s madness going on around the country—and especially in California—when it comes to immigration. Depending on which news channel you watch, it’s either a crisis, a circus, or both.

And who do our Biz-Souls hosts Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler call when the headlines get hysterical and you can’t sort facts from fabrication?

Judge Daren Margolin.

That’s right. The man’s been on Newsmax, and now he’s stepped up in the world—to the Biz-Souls Podcast. Talk about career highs!

Daren Margolin isn’t just any judge. He’s a retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, a former Staff Judge Advocate for both General Jim Mattis and General Dave Berger, and a guy who’s presided over everything from immigration courts to felony trials to 10,000 new Marine recruits (talk about Semper Fi).

He recently served as Assistant Chief Immigration Judge for the Executive Office of Immigration Review, where he didn’t just run one of the busiest immigration courts in the country, he built from scratch! The Santa Ana Immigration Court, under his leadership, processed over 28,000 cases annually and was one of the top-performing courts in the country. That’s right, top-performing. We said it. We meant it.

And if that weren’t enough? He supervised dozens of judges (yes, judges need managing), ran courts at multiple locations during a pandemic, and somehow kept it all together while being bombarded with “urgent” memos from D.C. that had about as much relevance to real life as a screenplay rewrite of Gilligan’s Island.

From prosecuting gang members and war criminals to commanding emergency services at Quantico, to coordinating humanitarian efforts after a tsunami—Judge Margolin has done it all, and lived to tell the tale with humility, integrity, and a not-so-subtle side-eye for bureaucracy.

We’re talking:

• What really happens behind courtroom doors?

• What makes a Marine AND a good judge?

• And what kind of leadership actually works when the stakes are life-altering?

If you’ve ever wondered how a guy can keep his cool running a court full of type-A overachievers with legal authority and egos the size of California... Judge Margolin’s got stories for you.

Trust us—this episode is more than order in the court. It’s clarity in the chaos.

Tune in. Because anything’s better than leaving immigration reform up to Congress.

This week on Biz-Souls, we dive into the bold new world of human agency and digital autonomy with William (Bill) Welser IV, a man who shares coffee with goats on Thursdays and reshapes the future the rest of the week.

From his early career as a U.S. Air Force officer to building trailblazing teams at the RAND Corporation, to launching Lotic.ai, Bill has always had one mission: equip people with the power to shape their own stories through data, design.

Discover In this episode how your personal data, when owned and directed by you, becomes a tool for power not profit.

Explore the role of storytelling in personalizing technology and rebuilding trust in digital systems, and hear why the next wave of AI innovation must be rooted in ethics, empathy, and equity—and how it can help close socioeconomic gaps, not widen them.

Bill doesn’t just talk about tech, he talks about transformation. Whether he’s mapping ecosystems, future-casting industries, or helping behavioral scientists structure AI with soul, he brings a unique blend of heart, hope, and hardcore innovation to the conversation.

His Lotic Logic: You Deserve Better from Your Data!

Listen in because your future isn’t written by algorithms. It’s co-authored by you—if you take back the pen. Bill Welser IV shows us how.

Tune in now to Biz-Souls – where business meets humanity, and where data, dreams, and destiny converge.

Related Biz-Souls Episodes:

• Episode 126 – Complexity, Chaos, and Coffee: Systems Thinking with Michael Woudenberg

• Episode 132: The Future Is Fractal: Building Resilient Organizations

• Episode 135 – From War Rooms to Whiteboards: What the Military Taught Me About Business

• Episode 137 – Human Beings, Not Human Resources: A Tactical Guide to Empathy in Innovation

• Episode 140 – The Language of Systems: What You Say Changes What You Build

#BizSoulsPodcast #HumanAgency #DataPower #EthicalAI #StoryEconomy #AIWithSoul #DigitalFreedom #TechForGood #LoticAI #FutureCasting #OwnYourData #WilliamWelserIV

Welcome to the 173rd episode of Biz-Souls, where the boardroom meets the ball pit and spreadsheets shake hands with silliness! In this episode, Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler cap off a three-book exploration into the weird and wonderful world of better business thinking — and guess what? This time, Rona wrote the book. Literally.

Presenting: ‘Play and Profit – How Play Enhances Organizational Success’ by Rona Lewis!

That’s right, after analyzing the deep dives of ‘Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction’ by Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner (aka “crystal balling for data nerds”), and ‘Positive Intelligence’ by Shirzad Chamine (hello, inner Sage!), the Biz-Souls duo hits the trampoline of transformation with Rona’s brand-new guide to purposeful play.

Play and Profit isn’t just about blowing bubbles in the breakroom — it’s a science-backed, fun-forward strategy that helps organizations innovate, embrace failure (without throwing staplers), and make smarter decisions with a smile.

Jeffrey, naturally skeptical of anything involving finger painting outside kindergarten, challenges Rona on everything from the definition of “fun” to whether workplace dodgeball is tax-deductible. Rona, certified play professional and proud possessor of more bounce than a yoga ball, holds her own — even if she occasionally has to toss a metaphorical Nerf dart to get Jeffrey back on track.

‘Superforecasting’ taught us to expect the unexpected and Play and Profit helps us enjoy the unexpected. ‘Positive Intelligence’ helps us quiet the “Saboteur” in our minds and play helps us amplify our inner genius (and maybe our karaoke skills).

Her book shares pathways to building psychologically safe environments… where it’s safe to fail, safe to laugh, and totally acceptable to have a LEGO sculpture on your desk.

Rona introduces her P.L.A.Y! framework, a five-stage process designed to foster psychological safety, active listening, attunement, and yielding to creative processes. This approach encourages teams to embrace challenges as opportunities, leading to increased innovation and productivity.

In this podcast you’ll discover how this discussion builds upon concepts from the previously covered books ‘Superforecasting’ and ‘Positive Intelligence’, illustrating how play complements strategic thinking and mental resilience in organizations.

Special shout out to Jessica Brustad (Rona's original partner at Playful Mind Project), Cathy Arkle who designed the cover of Rona's new book, and James Franklin, who took amazing photos of Rona for the book.

Tune in to discover how a playful mindset can revolutionize your organization's approach to success and take your team from burnout to bounce-back?

Hit play, toss your tie in the air, and discover why business is better when you play it forward.

#BizSouls #PlayAndProfit #WorkShouldBeFun #RonaRules #JeffreyJabsBack #PurposefulPlay #CorporateCultureShift #InnovationThroughPlay #Superforecasting #PositiveIntelligence #WorkplaceInnovation #TeamEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #CorporateCulture

Episode 172: Saboteurs vs. Sages -The Mental Fitness Showdown

Get ready for a high-energy, thought-provoking episode of Biz-Souls! This week, Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler dive into the transformative world of Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine—a groundbreaking guide to mastering your mind and unlocking your full potential.

Discover how Dr. Chamine suggests you boost your Positive Intelligence Quotient (PQ) to enhance performance and happiness. Learn about the ten internal saboteurs, including the universal "Judge," that hinder your success. Then explore the five sage powers that help you navigate life's challenges with clarity and resilience.

Rona and Jeffrey share their use of these concepts to improve decision-making, manage stress, and enhance relationships. Note: Rona’s a little ahead on this subject because she’s currently enrolled in Dr. Chamine’s coaching program.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your personal development journey, this episode offers valuable insights into achieving mental fitness and personal growth.

About the Author:

Shirzad Chamine is the author of the New York Times bestseller Positive Intelligence. He lectured on Positive Intelligence at Stanford University and has trained faculty at Stanford and Yale business schools. Shirzad has been the CEO of the largest coach training organization in the world and has coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams. His background includes a BA in psychology, an MS in electrical engineering, and an MBA from Stanford.

About the Book:

Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine reveals how your mind can be your best friend or worst enemy. By identifying and weakening your internal saboteurs and strengthening your sage powers, you can improve performance, relationships, and overall well-being. Chamine's research shows that higher PQ leads to better outcomes in various aspects of life.

#BizSouls172 #PositiveIntelligence #MentalFitness #SaboteursVsSages #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment

What do reality TV show winners, economic collapses, and political upsets have in common? They’re all things Superforecasters could’ve seen coming! Maybe.

In this brain-boosting episode of Biz-Souls, Rona Lewis hands the crystal ball to Jeffrey Hansler as he dives into the insights of ‘Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction’ by Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner.

After a recommendation from one of his training participants (who may or may not now have Oracle status), Jeffrey took a deep dive into Tetlock and Gardner’s book — and resurfaced with gems of wisdom anyone can use to sharpen their predictive powers.

Learn why foxes beat hedgehogs (yes, it’s a real metaphor), how probabilistic thinking wins over gut feelings, and what makes superforecasters so… super. From world events to office politics, you'll never look at uncertainty the same way again.

Tetlock and Gardner unpack the fascinating findings of the Good Judgment Project - a research initiative that revealed how certain individuals, dubbed "superforecasters," consistently outperform even intelligence analysts with access to classified information.

Discover how these superforecasters harness open-mindedness, analytical thinking, and a knack for breaking down complex problems to make remarkably accurate predictions. Learn how you can cultivate these skills to enhance decision-making in business and beyond.

And if you're a Biz-Souls binge-listener, this one's a perfect companion to:

Ep. 169: “Positive, Normative, and Positively Normative” — where Jeffrey and Rona explore the psychology behind decision-making and economic forecasting.

Ep. 166: “Truth, Lies, and DOGE” — exploring Nietzsche, narrative, and why humans struggle with truth (hint: it affects forecasting too).

Ep. 165: “Franchise Fiasco” — a forecasting fail in real time when Jeffrey just wanted a footlong sub.

Ep. 167: “Ikigai and AI” — with Michael Woudenberg, tackling polymathic minds and purpose, which, funnily enough, is key to long-term judgment too.

Whether you're a business leader, strategist, or just someone intrigued by the art of prediction, this episode offers a treasure trove of insights. Tune in and elevate your forecasting game!

Because the future may be uncertain—but your next podcast choice isn’t!

#BizSouls #Superforecasting #GoodJudgmentProject #PhilipTetlock #DecisionMaking #PredictTheFuture

What if changing your mindset could change everything?

In this electrifying episode of Biz-Souls, hosts Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler welcome the incredible Toluwa Oyeleye — a globally recognized coach, TEDx speaker, and founder of Zoah Consultancy.

With credentials from Cambridge University and MindGym, and a history of impact spanning the United Nations, corporate boardrooms, and university campuses, Toluwa is a master of mindset transformation.

This is a journey into the raw, real, and revolutionary world of mindset mastery. Because here’s the thing: Mindsets aren’t set in stone. They’re malleable, dynamic, and — with the right approach — they can become your most powerful tool.

Toluwa can help you and your organization break free from limiting beliefs and rewire perspectives for success. Toluwa’s unique approach transforms leaders, students, and organizations worldwide.

Toluwa isn’t just about motivation — she’s about mastering your mind. Whether you're a leader facing burnout, a team struggling with cohesion, or someone feeling stuck in a rut, this episode is your playbook for a breakthrough. Toluwa’s no-fluff, heart-led approach will leave you rethinking what’s possible — and give you the tools to lead from the inside out.

Explore More Episodes:

Episode 160: HR is Not Your Friend – The candid truth about HR’s evolving role in today’s workplace.

Episode 147: Discover the Future of Work – Insights into the new normal and how to thrive in it.

Episode 169: Positive, Normative, and Positively Normative: A Leadership Guide to Discussion

Hit play on this episode and follow us on your favorite podcast platform and prepare to transform your mindset — and your life.

What’s the difference between what is and what ought to be? Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler dive headfirst into the wonderfully wonky world of positive vs. normative thinking—and come up gasping for air, laughter, and just a bit of existential dread.

Of course, Jeffrey brings up the U.S. national debt, which has ballooned to $36 trillion—a number so large, even AI responds with “lol, good luck.” Rona banters back, sometimes without even saying a word. It’s all in the look—and as we learned from Zoolander, there may only be one look… but it still speaks volumes.

The duo also riff on Philip Tetlock’s sobering reminder that humans are pretty awful at predicting the future—which explains both the popularity of astrology apps and your coworker’s crypto investments.

Expect a lively, rapid-fire conversation in true Weekend Update style, as our hosts balance economic theory, leadership insight, and absurdist humor like it's a panel discussion moderated by a caffeinated philosopher.

Whether you're leading a team, forecasting a budget, or just trying to figure out if you should buy Dogecoin again (spoiler: no), this episode offers something for your brain and your funny bone.

Tune in for a conversation that’s thoughtful, thought-provoking, and positively… normative.