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/

Have you felt like you’re doing all the right things—setting goals, taking action, staying motivated—but something still isn’t clicking? Welcome to what I call the Miserable Maybe—the frustrating space between knowing what you want and actually getting there. It is NOT the Messy Middle.

The “messy middle” means the messy chaotic action is happening and forward momentum is starting. The “miserable maybe” is more like spinning your wheels.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

✔️ Why your hidden values might be sabotaging your success (without you realizing it) ✔️ How past patterns and "zombie programs" shape your decisions today ✔️ The #1 mistake high achievers make that keeps them trapped in struggle ✔️ A simple but powerful way to spot and break free from the Miserable Maybe!

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or caught in a cycle of overworking without real progress—this episode is for you. 👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

What separates great leaders from the rest?

Chris Dyer, a top culture expert, leadership coach, and high-performance consultant, joins us to break it down.

In this episode, we explore: ✅ The surprising trait that makes entrepreneurs and CEOs stand out ✅ Why failure is a secret weapon (if you know how to use it) ✅ The moment Chris realized he had built the wrong culture—and how he fixed it ✅ The future of AI and why businesses that don’t adapt will be left behind ✅ How to lead through uncertainty and empower your team to take ownership

If you’re serious about growing as a leader and mastering change, this episode is a must-listen.

Find Chris on your favorite platform!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdyer7/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisdyer.com

https://www.instagram.com/chrispdyer7/

https://x.com/ChrisPDyer

https://chrisdyer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chrispdyer7

https://youtu.be/NtgtkAoGgT4 👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

Your money mindset affects everything—how you earn, save, and spend. But what if you could make financial decisions with zero stress and full confidence?

In this episode, Kari Schneider shares 3 powerful strategies to shift your money mindset so you can: ✅ Make aligned financial choices—without guilt or second-guessing. ✅ Overcome scarcity thinking and step into an abundant mindset. ✅ Pre-decide your financial moves so you stop feeling overwhelmed.

Plus, Kari shares personal insights (including a surprising lesson from a pair of Crocs 🩴) and the critical mindset shift that changed her relationship with money forever.

Tune in now and start mastering your money mindset today! 👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

In this episode of The Empowered Team Podcast, we sit down with Ishali Mulchandani—CPA and powerhouse CFO with expertise spanning Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.

She’s on a mission to help business owners master their numbers, protect their cash flow, and stop overpaying on taxes.

Here’s what we dive into:

✅ The biggest financial leaks draining your profits—and how to stop them. ✅ Why so many business owners ask, “Where’s my profit?” (and the answer that changes everything). ✅ Common tax write-offs people miss (yes, you’re probably paying more than you need to!). ✅ How small shifts in pricing and payment terms can double your bottom line. ✅ Why financial fear is keeping you stuck—and how to break free.

Ishali shares real-world examples of business owners transforming their financial game, plus the mindset shifts that take you from financial stress to financial freedom.

👉 Want to connect with Ishali? Check her out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishalimulchandani? 👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Empowered Team and take your leadership to the next level: https://theempowered.ca/

You’ve got big goals. A vision. A place you want to be. But then, like quicksand, you get stuck in the question: How do I do this? Welcome to the tyranny of how—a silent killer of progress, momentum, and dreams.

In this episode, Kari Schneider breaks down why “how” is often the wrong question and what to ask instead.

She introduces the concept of Triple Vision (now, next, and far vision) and reveals why most people get paralyzed at the “next” step. You’ll also learn:

✅ Why overthinking and perfectionism are keeping you from real success ✅ How the “middle finger” (yes, really) is the key to growth ✅ The surprising science behind happiness and how it relates to your biggest goals ✅ Three actionable steps to break free from analysis paralysis and start moving

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about your next step, this episode is a must-listen. The path to success is clearer than you think—you just need to take the first step.

Listen to a blast from the past - Episode 132 Triple Vision: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triple-vision/id1439022418?i=1000521065996