In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra welcomes Dr. Cheryl Richards, President and CEO of Catapult, to examine what career readiness really means as AI, changing jobs, and new workplace expectations reshape how organizations and professionals grow. Rather than treating the future of work as a technology problem, Cheryl reframes it as a challenge of change management, adaptability, resilience, learning agility, and human judgment.

• (00:00:00) - Welcome and Introducing Dr. Cheryl Richards
• (00:01:26) - Defining the Future of Work as Change Management
• (00:02:54) - Key Capabilities: Adaptability, Resilience, Judgment
• (00:04:27) - Human Capital vs. Balance Sheet Disconnect
• (00:05:03) - The Training Budget Cartoon and Cutting to Growth
• (00:07:52) - The 70-20-10 Rule for Development
• (00:09:22) - Turning Crisis Into a Training Opportunity
• (00:10:07) - Advice for Staying Valuable: Intentionality
• (00:11:24) - Segment Break and Recap
• (00:12:02) - Reflection: Change Management and Identity
• (00:13:31) - Why Judgment Matters More in an AI World
• (00:14:43) - Knowledge vs. Judgment in Sales and Careers
• (00:16:19) - Intentionality in Remote and Hybrid Careers
• (00:17:28) - Development vs. Promotion: Defining Success
• (00:18:15) - Revisiting the Investment-in-People Meme
• (00:19:46) - Learning Happens on the Job, Not in Class
• (00:21:38) - Three Questions to Prepare for the Future
• (00:23:19) - Segment Break and App Promotion
• (00:24:21) - Deciding Which Capabilities to Build or Hire For
• (00:27:01) - Common Succession Planning Mistakes
• (00:28:46) - Closing the Skill Gap for Succession Candidates
• (00:31:13) - AI as a Development Tool: Promise and Caution
• (00:34:51) - Where to Find Cheryl and Catapult
• (00:35:29) - Closing Thoughts and Sign-off
• (00:35:58) - Personal Succession Planning: Who Am I Becoming?
• (00:38:31) - Getting Specific: From Vague Goals to Real Gaps
• (00:39:56) - Seeking Honest Feedback From Others
• (00:41:44) - Closing the Gap Through Experience, Not Just Courses
• (00:42:22) - AI as Augmented Intelligence, Not a Crutch
• (00:45:31) - Owning Your Own Career Development
• (00:47:15) - Final Exercise: Building Evidence for the Future

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Dr. Orin Davis, self-actualization engineer, human capital consultant, researcher, and coach, for a fresh look at how talent should be identified and developed in today’s workplace. Instead of relying too heavily on resumes and traditional interviews, Dr. Davis argues for a more skills-first approach that evaluates what people can actually do, why they want the role, and how well they fit the organization.

• (00:00:01) - Introducing Dr. Oren Davis and Self-Actualization Engineering
• (00:01:36) - Rethinking Resumes and the Hiring Process
• (00:04:09) - Skill Tests, Culture Fit, and Rewriting the Hiring Sequence
• (00:07:54) - Interview-First Hiring and Rethinking Candidate Evaluation
• (00:12:20) - Break and Show Info
• (00:13:21) - Productivity vs. Doing Your Best Work
• (00:15:01) - Understanding Flow and Csikszentmihalyi
• (00:18:17) - Identifying Professional Fit and Personal Values
• (00:20:09) - Identity, Self-Awareness, and Self-Actualization
• (00:24:18) - Break and Teaser for AI Segment
• (00:24:56) - Human Skills vs. AI: Where the Line Is Drawn
• (00:29:33) - Organizational Use of AI and Employee Autonomy
• (00:32:05) - Learning, Resilience, and Getting 'Cut Down to Size'
• (00:36:59) - Break and Transition to Individual Growth
• (00:37:34) - Self-Actualization in the Workplace
• (00:40:43) - Building Your Own Growth Trajectory and Mentorship
• (00:45:56) - Preventing Quiet Quitting and Rewarding Growth
• (00:47:56) - Closing Thoughts: It's All About You

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Anya Fileva, founder and creator of Claw and Paw Apparel, to explore what career reinvention really looks like when professional success no longer feels aligned with who you are. Drawing from her journey from Ukraine, corporate life, fashion design, and entrepreneurship, Anya shares how she stopped climbing someone else’s ladder and began building a path rooted in creativity, identity, and personal fulfillment.

• (00:00:00) - Anya Filewa
• (00:02:25) - What is the single point that shaped your life?
• (00:03:53) - In the Elevator With Rachel
• (00:06:26) - Anya Mukhtar's
• (00:07:10) - The Colorist on Her Cat Designs
• (00:09:59) - "Starting Over" With Anna
• (00:11:45) - Rise Up at Work
• (00:12:31) - Cull and Paw: Reclaiming Your Identity
• (00:15:21) - T-Shirt
• (00:17:05) - How to Get Your Customer's Joy
• (00:19:10) - Deepak On AI's Impact On His
• (00:21:52) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:23:42) - Deepak Bhutra on Anya Filewa's Inner Engineering
• (00:24:39) - How to Overcome Self-Doubt
• (00:28:13) - In the Elevator With Resilience
• (00:29:26) - In the Elevator With Rich People
• (00:31:38) - Have You Got Enough Confidence For Your Business?
• (00:33:04) - Anjoe on Authentic Success
• (00:35:21) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:36:03) - Anya's Entrepreneurial Journey
• (00:36:37) - What's The Big Surprise of Starting a Business?
• (00:39:02) - What Advice Would 21 Year Old Anya Have For Her Life?
• (00:41:04) - What would you tell a 21 year old now about their life?
• (00:42:23) - Have You Got What it Takes to Start a Business?
• (00:44:25) - Cats and Dogs: A Fashion Line
• (00:45:56) - Where Can People Find You?
• (00:47:36) - Anya's talk on resilience

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhoothra sits down with Sabrina Kinckle, growth systems consultant, to uncover why talented professionals and B2B firms often struggle with unpredictable client acquisition and what it takes to build a consistent growth engine.

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra welcomes Michelle Coates, occupational therapist and founder of Blue Balance, to discuss why workplace mental health, employee wellbeing, and disability management are essential leadership responsibilities not just HR initiatives. Together, they explore how healthier workplaces lead to stronger teams, higher productivity, and better business outcomes.

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra welcomes Khayang Gagiano, author, educator, and talent transformation expert, for an eye-opening conversation about where successful careers really begin. Challenging the belief that professional development starts in adulthood, Khayang explains how the foundations of leadership, resilience, creativity, communication, and emotional intelligence are built during the earliest years of life.

in this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra welcomes Paula Quincey, CEO of Engaged Humans and relationship intelligence expert, for a powerful conversation about the one competitive advantage technology can’t replace: human connection.

As AI, hybrid work, and constant change reshape the modern workplace, Paula explains why trust, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and healthy conflict are becoming essential leadership skills.

• (00:00:00) - Rising Up at Work With Paula Quincy
• (00:01:03) - Bring the Human Back into the Workplace
• (00:01:55) - Paul Walsh on Workplace Relationships
• (00:04:51) - What is Relationship Intelligence?
• (00:06:22) - The Value of Trust in the Workplace
• (00:10:30) - What Relationship Challenges do you see in today's workplace?
• (00:11:00) - Relationship Challenges
• (00:12:15) - Rising Up With Paula Quincy
• (00:12:38) - Why Do People See Conflict As a Negative?
• (00:17:20) - How to Navigate Conflict in a Professional Organization
• (00:18:34) - Why Conflict Is a Catalyst for Better Relationships
• (00:23:28) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:24:15) - Rising Up at Work
• (00:26:40) - Paula, Psychological Safety
• (00:30:09) - Mental Well-Being in the Workplace
• (00:34:54) - How to Be Accountable and Empathetic in the Workplace
• (00:36:26) - Rise Up at Work
• (00:36:55) - Paul Quincy
• (00:37:30) - Thinking Out Loud: Well-being at Work
• (00:38:49) - Self-Advocacy for 21-Year-Olds
• (00:41:35) - How to help professionals who feel overwhelmed or stuck in their careers
• (00:44:03) - The Breakdown of Psychological Safety
• (00:45:04) - The Secret to a Flourishing Workforce
• (00:45:55) - How to Make People Flourish
• (00:47:36) - Deepak Bhutra

In this episode of RISEUP@work, host Dr. Deepak Bhootra sits down with Jasmine Davis, founder and CEO of Pretty Talk LLC, to explore why leadership development must begin long before young people enter the workforce.

Drawing from her experience in juvenile justice, youth mentorship, and character development, Jasmine shares how confidence, communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence are becoming the true power skills of the modern workplace.