What if care wasn’t just culture talk—but a strategic advantage?

In this bonus episode of the Courage Keepers Podcast, John Yeager sits down with Dr. Brooklyn Raney and Dr. Stephanie Fitzpatrick to explore the concept of the Caring Dividend—the tangible return organizations experience when they invest deeply in wellbeing, belonging, and human-centered leadership.

Together, they unpack:

• How care drives measurable performance and resilience
• Why belonging is a leadership responsibility
• The gap between strategy and lived employee experience
• What it takes to build organizational health that lasts

If you lead people—and want excellence without burnout—this conversation is for you.

------------------------------------

Stephanie Fitzpatrick, EdD

Stephanie Fitzpatrick is a former Fortune 5 Chief Learning Officer with prior senior leadership roles at Apple, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and LBrands. She understands executive pressure from the inside, having led large-scale talent strategy, advised C-suite teams, and built leadership systems across global, matrixed organizations. She holds a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and brings both lived executive experience and doctoral research in leadership and sustainable performance to her work.

Brooklyn Raney, EdD

Brooklyn Raney is a former educational leader and the founder of a company dedicated to ensuring young people have the mentors they need—those who intentionally build strong connection while maintaining healthy and clear boundaries. She brings doctoral research in trust, care, and hierarchical relationships together with practical frameworks that help leaders strengthen engagement, communication, and culture. Her work translates relational care into actionable leadership strategies that support both people and performance.

In this inaugural episode of the "Courage Keepers" podcast, host John Yeager explores the concept of courage in everyday actions and organizational leadership. Joined by Senior Executive Coach Erica Moore, they discuss different aspects of courage from personal experiences to leadership dynamics. John shares impactful stories that shaped his understanding of courage, while Erica discusses her journey through the lens of confidence, beliefs, and core values developed over her career. They emphasize the importance of connection and self-awareness in cultivating courage, along with practical advice and challenges for viewers to enhance their own bravery. This episode sets the stage for future discussions focused on the diverse pathways to courageous behavior.