🎧 Leadership Rules with Katie Regan
You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network

What if networking isn't about meeting more people?

What if it's about being more intentional with the people you already know?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Katie Regan, founder and CEO of Kirkpatrick Group and author of Intention: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network.

And spoiler alert: we loved this book.

Katie takes something that can feel awkward, transactional, and intimidating and makes it surprisingly simple and human.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why you may be only one or two connections away from the best connection of your career
• How introverts can turn curiosity and listening into networking superpowers
• Why your friend's parents might be an overlooked part of your network
• How to build a diverse personal "board of directors"
• Why great mentoring relationships work in both directions
• The importance of consistency, authenticity, and simply staying in touch
• Why networking isn't about asking, "What can you do for me?"

Katie also introduces us to the idea of "builders", people who invest in relationships, make connections, help others, and find ways to show up even when life gets busy.

Whether you're searching for your first job, chasing a promotion, considering a career pivot, building a business, or helping a young adult figure out what's next, this conversation will change the way you think about your network.

Because chances are, you already know more of the right people than you think.

You just need a little more Intention.

📖 Learn More

Pick up Intention: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Network on Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or at kirkpat.com.

💼 Connect with Katie K. Regan on LinkedIn
📸 Find Katie on Instagram
📧 intention@kirkpat.com

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, relationships, career growth, and leading your life with purpose and impact.

#LeadershipRules #KatieRegan #Intention #Networking #CareerDevelopment #Leadership #Mentorship #PersonalBrand #CareerGrowth

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jeremy Smith
Title: Practice Beats Credentials

What if we've been preparing people for work... the wrong way?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with entrepreneur and Pega6 founder Jeremy Smith to challenge one of society's biggest assumptions:

Does earning a degree actually prepare someone for a career?

Jeremy argues that mastery doesn't come from lectures, textbooks, or exams.

It comes from doing the work.

Again and again.

Drawing from his own experience in startups and product development, Jeremy shares why he believes experiential learning is the future of career preparation and how Pega6 is reimagining higher education by treating students more like employees than traditional learners.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why so many college graduates still feel unprepared on day one
• How experiential learning builds both technical and professional skills
• Why repetition and variety are the keys to mastery
• How AI is reshaping the skills employers are looking for
• Why "year one of employment" might be the best classroom ever created
• Jeremy's leadership philosophy: hire great people, then get out of their way

Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, parent, hiring manager, or student, this conversation will challenge how you think about learning, work, and what it truly means to be ready.

📍 Learn More

🌐 Pega6 (High School Program)
https://pega6.com

🎓 Pega6 Fellowship (Recent College Graduates)
https://pega6fellowship.com

💼 Connect with Jeremy Smith on LinkedIn

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and preparing people for a rapidly changing world.

#LeadershipRules #JeremySmith #Pega6 #ExperientialLearning #CareerReadiness #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HigherEducation #AI #Entrepreneurship

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jason Van Nus

What if the biggest thing holding students back isn't a lack of skills... but a lack of opportunities to tell their story?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Jason Van Nus, CEO of the WIN Regional College and Career Academy, to discuss why career readiness is about so much more than technical skills.

Jason believes students don't just need credentials. They need confidence. And confidence is built by doing hard things in safe environments.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why Jason calls himself a "gentle disruptor"
• How the Reverse Career Fair flips the traditional hiring process on its head
• Why students need to learn how to advocate for themselves, not just build a résumé
• How work-based learning creates stronger talent pipelines for communities and employers
• Why industry should invest in developing local talent before students graduate
• How servant leadership means earning the right to have difficult conversations

Jason also shares why some of the best learning happens when students are just outside their comfort zone, where failure becomes feedback and confidence begins to grow.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people prepare for life beyond the classroom, this conversation is full of practical ideas and fresh perspectives.

📍 Learn more and connect with Jason Van Nus

💼 LinkedIn → Jason Van Nus

🏫 WIN Regional College and Career Academy

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and preparing the next generation to lead with confidence and purpose.

#LeadershipRules #JasonVanNus #CareerReadiness #WorkBasedLearning #YouthApprenticeships #StudentLeadership #EducationLeadership #CTE #ServantLeadership