In this candid and relatable episode of the HC Leadership Podcast, Kyle and Kerry dive into the everyday struggle of bad mornings and how to turn them around before they derail your entire day. From spilled coffee and sleepless nights to workplace frustrations and emotional triggers, they explore how awareness, perspective, and small wins can reset your mindset and refocus your purpose.

Kerry shares practical routines that keep her grounded—from morning exercise and magnesium to sunlight and grace—while Kyle opens up about how music, awareness, and micro-wins help him realign when the day starts sideways. Together, they emphasize how you show up, even on the hard days.

Whether you’re in the firehouse, the boardroom, or just trying to make it through your morning routine, this episode is a reminder that a bad start doesn’t have to mean a bad day.

In this episode of the HC Leadership Podcast, Kyle and Kerry dive into one of leadership’s toughest balancing acts, knowing when empathy stops helping and starts hurting. Building on last week’s discussion on culture and accountability, they unpack how good intentions can quietly erode standards and create “toxic empathy.”

The hosts explore questions every leader faces:

• When does empathy cross the line into enabling?
• How can leaders show compassion without lowering expectations?
• Why does avoiding discomfort actually breed dysfunction?

From the firehouse to the boardroom, Kyle and Kerry share candid reflections on guilt, accountability, and courageous empathy, truth spoken with care. They challenge leaders to stop mistaking comfort for care and start leading with conviction, authenticity, and consistency.

Key takeaway: Empathy is a tool, not a strategy. Use it to guide your perspective, not your decision-making.

In this episode, hosts Kyle and Kerry embark on an insightful discussion about the pivotal role of leadership in shaping workplace culture. They emphasize that culture is not merely dictated by top-level slogans or mission statements but is defined by the consistent behaviors modeled by leaders. They explore how culture is integral to the success of teams, sharing personal anecdotes that highlight the transformative power of effective leadership. Identifying culture as a top-down phenomenon, the hosts stress the importance of shared values and the leader’s vision in creating an environment that fosters collaboration and purpose.