What happens when the life you’ve built on achievement no longer feels like your own?

In this heartfelt episode, Jennifer Neilsen—purpose and mindset coach, HR leader, and speaker—shares her journey from burnout to belonging. Once the overperforming, always-on high achiever, Jennifer realized success without connection was leaving her empty. Through loss, rediscovery, and deep reflection, she learned that friendship isn’t about having more people in your life—it’s about being seen, safe, and real with the few who matter most.

Together with hosts Dr. Russell Greenfield and Lisa T. Grimes, Jennifer explores:

• The surprising link between burnout and friendship

• Why some friendships fade—and how to let them go with grace

• The difference between showing up and performing in relationships

• How to rebuild trust, find new friends as an adult, and nurture connection at work

This conversation is raw, honest, and profoundly hopeful—a reminder that friendship is both the mirror and the medicine for becoming who we truly are.

🎧 Listen now and rediscover the beauty of being known, not just needed.

Meet Jennifer Neilsen:

Jennifer Neilson, Women’s Leadership, Purpose, and Mindset Coach, is an experienced HR leader and speaker who helps women stop performing and start living from their true identity. She’s been where her clients are—burned out, overachieving, and unsure of who she was outside of what she did. Now, she combines real-life wisdom with brain-based coaching tools to guide other women through their own reset—and into lives of clarity, confidence, and calm. Jennifer is known for her emotionally resonant coaching, real-talk approach, and the grounded frameworks that help women actually transform—not just talk about it.

You can connect with Jennifer at www.myleadadvantage.com.

©Friendship Institute 2025

Friendship Matters™ is intended to help improve our Friendship IQ. While this generally signals an improvement in our overall wellbeing, this podcast is not intended in any way to offer specific counseling or medical advice. Please seek help from a trained professional.

What if the most important leadership metric isn’t on your dashboard, but in your chest?

In this conversation, cardiologist and mindfulness teacher Dr. Jonathan Fisher (author of Just One Heart) joins hosts Lisa T. Grimes and Dr. Russell Greenfield to explore the science and soul of connection.

We dig into the “seven traits of the heart” (steadiness, wisdom, openness, wholeness, courage, lightness, warmth), how friendship and belonging protect against burnout, and why leading with your whole heart improves performance, retention, and wellbeing.

From clinical stories and Blue Zones research to practical tools you can use today, this episode is a timely reset for leaders, clinicians, and anyone craving more meaning. You’ll leave with a kinder way to talk to yourself, a clearer way to show up for others, and proof that connection isn’t soft—it’s smart.

• A practical checklist for how to be—not just what to do—when stakes are high

• Why friendship and belonging are protective for heart health and longevity

• The business case: how warm, connected cultures outperform

• Burnout drivers (autonomy, rigidity, moral injury) and what actually helps

• Simple ways to start “friending yourself” and lead with courage and warmth

“When we lead with our whole hearts, we heal ourselves—and those around us.”

- Dr. Jonathan Fisher

Dr. Jonathan Fisher is a Harvard-trained cardiologist, mindfulness teacher, and well-being leader. As Physician Executive for Well-Being and Resiliency at Novant Health, he designs and leads programs supporting 38,000+ team members. He is co-founder of the Ending Clinician Burnout Global Community and co-host of its annual international summits. Author of the multi-award winning Just One Heart: A Cardiologist’s Guide to Healing, Health, and Happiness, he helps people reconnect mind and heart to reduce stress, prevent burnout, and lead with clarity, compassion, and care.

Find Dr Fisher at:

Website: https://www.drjonathanfisher.com

Book “Just One Heart”: https://a.co/d/608gH2U

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/happyheartmd/

The Heart-Mind Connection Newsletter: https://substack.com/@drjonathanfisher

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyheartmd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDcRj4LQTdHKB2SU6jDs0YQ?view_as=subscriber

©Friendship Institute 2025

Friendship Matters™ is intended to help improve our Friendship IQ. While this generally signals an improvement in our overall wellbeing, this podcast is not intended in any way to offer specific counseling or medical advice. Please seek help from a trained professional.

What if friendship isn’t about convenience, but intention? In this energizing conversation, CEO and “friend collector” Andora Hinton shares how growing up as an only child shaped her hunger for connection and how adulthood taught her to choose friends with care. We dig into reciprocity, values alignment, vulnerability at work, and how different circles (corporate vs. entrepreneurial) fuel balance and momentum. Andora offers practical, doable ways to deepen bonds, especially when life gets busy, careers demand everything, or you’re rebuilding community in a new city. If you’ve ever wondered how to make time for real friends without losing yourself, this one’s your playbook.

You’ll learn:

• How to move from “convenience friends” to chosen friendships

• A simple system to keep friendships alive (text, call, schedule)

• Why reciprocity + shared values predict depth

• Courage-over-comfort steps to find friends (and keep them)

• How to model healthy friendships for kids—and teams

“Friendship is what you make it—so let’s make it intentional, energizing, and for life.”

Andora Hinton

Founder & CEO , Willow North Growth Partners

Andora Hinton, CEO of Willow North Growth Partners, has over 26 years of experience in sales, coaching, and training, specializing in helping teams improve communication and collaboration to drive growth across industries. She customizes strategies to align with organizational goals and foster lasting behavioral change.

Named a Top 100 Innovative Entrepreneur and Womelle Magazine’s Thought Leader of the Year in 2024, Andora is certified in Emotional Intelligence, Relationship Intelligence, and other leadership frameworks.

In addition to her professional work, Andora is passionate about the power of deep, meaningful friendships and how these relationships contribute to both personal and professional growth. She believes that friendship, vulnerability, and connection are key elements in navigating life and leadership with authenticity and strength.

Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Andora supports Make-a-Wish and lives with her family and dog, Duke. Her mission is to help leaders and teams unlock their potential, create lasting connections, and achieve success.

You can connect with Andora at www.willownorth.com.

©Friendship Institute 2025

Friendship Matters™ is intended to help improve our Friendship IQ. While this generally signals an improvement in our overall wellbeing, this podcast is not intended in any way to offer specific counseling or medical advice. Please seek help from a trained professional.