Understand Your Motivational Style and How to Adapt Your Communication Approach: A Conversation with Beka Shea

In the latest episode of Conversations in Depth, host Doug Keith talks with Beka Shea, Founder & Executive Advisor of Magnetic Consulting. Beka discusses her path from Naval officer and mechanical engineer to client and business advisor, and how behavioral analytics can help both individuals and teams understand their own communication styles and be better communicators as a result.

With ambitions to be a pilot, Beka completed an undergraduate ROTC program and joined the Navy, serving as the Assistant Training Officer on an aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington. She finished an advanced degree in mechanical engineering and moved into the private sector as an engineer at NORESCO, a carrier company focused on energy efficiency and sustainability. She's since led one consulting firm and founded another, created a real estate investment business, and has become an in-demand public speaker. With her team at Magnetic, she helps growth-stage companies align their leadership teams, improve decision-making, and scale with confidence.

In this conversation, Beka will share what she's learned about key types of motivational factors that typically define team members—Sharks (autonomy), Sunshines (social) and Shepherds (knowledge)—so you can think about what motivates you and how this influences your own communication approach. Through this assessment you can learn how to adapt your communications as a consultant with both respondents and clients, while avoiding letting your best traits become your Achilles heel.

https://www.magneticconsulting.net/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bekashea/

In the latest episode of Conversations in Depth, host Mike Carlon sits down with Frank Murgalo, master of reinvention, lifelong prankster, and author of My Mid-Life Crisis at 82. With a career that defies any neat category, Murgalo's story offers a refreshing perspective for professionals looking to pivot, reimagine their path, or simply embrace what comes next.

Known for reinventing himself every 7–8 years, Murgalo has been everything from a Marine reservist to an actor, from a soup entrepreneur to a stand-up comic, from a financial advisor to an Off-Broadway producer. His journey is a study in resilience, curiosity, and finding opportunity in the unexpected.

In this conversation, Frank shares candid lessons on navigating career shifts, overcoming self-doubt, and turning so-called "failures" into springboards. For qualitative researchers contemplating their own next chapter, his approach to adaptability and creative risk-taking resonates deeply. He reminds us that the ability to evolve—whether through reinvention, humor, or sheer persistence—is often the best asset any professional can cultivate.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration on how to turn career uncertainty into possibility, and how to approach change with curiosity, courage, and a little laughter.