Is your career path more of a winding road than a clear ladder? Great news: you're exactly where you need to be. Today, Kari Schneider is joined by Desiree Goldey, the Director of Marketing & Culture at ZRG and an expert in talent and leadership development. Desiree’s own journey is a testament to embracing the messy, non-linear path to purpose and leadership.

Desiree boldly shares how abruptly leaving her first toxic marketing job (box in hand!) kickstarted an unexpected yet fulfilling 20-year career. Her unusual journey—from marketing to bartending, hospitality, consumer foods, and finally, recruiting—shows the incredible power of embracing the twists and turns.

In this compelling episode, you’ll explore:

• Why a non-linear career can lead directly to your purpose and fulfillment.
• Key leadership traits for the modern workplace—empathy, authenticity, clarity, and courage.
• How artificial intelligence is impacting jobs—particularly in recruiting—and the critical human traits that AI can't replace.
• How to strategically position yourself as indispensable in an AI-driven world.

Desiree also challenges conventional thinking around what it takes to lead effectively today, sharing powerful advice:

“Don’t shrink yourself to make others comfortable.”

If you're ready to leverage your unique path and stand out in a changing professional landscape, this episode is your next step forward!

Episode Highlights:

• Embracing your values to find your purpose
• Recognizing red flags and must-have traits in leadership
• Jobs at risk with AI advancement—and what you can do about it

👉 Connect with Desiree Goldey: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/desireegoldey BlueSky: @dobetterpeople Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recruiter_gold/ WeAre8: @Dgoldey

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

In this solo episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider tackles a challenge every high-performer faces but rarely talks about: chronic stress and burnout.

Are you stuck in survival mode? Feeling like you’ve been powering through for so long that burnout is now your baseline? Kari reveals how chronic stress hijacks your brain, drains your vitality, and derails your decision-making—and most importantly, how to reclaim your energy, clarity, and performance power.

She introduces the 3 R's Framework:

• Restore your thriving baseline
• Reframe your perspective for empowered performance
• Recover with micro and macro resets that fuel resilience

Kari shares personal stories, practical strategies, and brain-based insights that will help you spot the signs of burnout and take back your mental and emotional bandwidth.

This episode is for leaders and high-achievers who are ready to stop coping and start thriving.

🔑 Topics Covered:

• How chronic stress rewires your brain and kills your performance
• The signs of emotional dysregulation and decision fatigue
• Practical recovery rituals to recharge your nervous system
• Why reframing is your secret superpower
• How to identify your “thriving baseline”—and return to it daily

🔥 “You’re not broken—your stress is a signal, not a sentence.” Listen in and reclaim your leadership edge, your peace, and your performance.

➡️ Share this with someone who’s been carrying too much for too long.

Listen to our T.A.C.K. framework for Stress in episode 311: https://bit.ly/MasteringStress-TheTACKFramework-ETP-iTunes

👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

Resources on this topic:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response

https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/effects-of-stress-on-your-body

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-yerkes-dodson-law-2796027

https://psychcentral.com/stress/our-brain-on-stress-forgetful-emotional

📚 Special Episode: Chapter Sneak Peek from The Human Algorithm

In this special edition of The Empowered Team Podcast, Kari Schneider shares a full chapter from her newly released book, The Human Algorithm: Leadership and Ethics in the AI Era, co-authored with Alejandro Dabdoub. This isn't just theory — it's a transformational lens on leadership as AI becomes part of everyday life.

In this episode, Kari reveals:

• The 4 Levels of Leadership for thriving in the AI age
• How AI will amplify your leadership — or expose your weaknesses
• The critical role of self-leadership and values-based decision-making
• Personal stories and real-world examples to ground these insights

Whether you're wary of AI or already leveraging it, this episode will challenge, inspire, and empower you to lead with purpose and integrity.

🎧 Listen in and get a glimpse into what’s behind the book!

Grab our free guide “the 50 best AI prompts for executives” https://thehumanalgorithm.ai/free-ai-guide 👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/