In this special episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, Desi Payne steps out from behind the microphone and into the guest seat as Garrett Ross interviews her about the life experiences that shaped her leadership message, resilience, and passion for helping people beat burnout, stay positive, and make their current job their dream job.

Desi shares her powerful personal story, from growing up in a NASA family and navigating her father’s alcoholism, to becoming the oldest sibling caretaker at a young age, working in hospital leadership, opening a family business, surviving breast cancer, and building an extraordinary career as a professional clown, speaker, and leadership trainer. Along the way, she reveals how every challenge prepared her to help leaders create stronger workplace culture, inspire teams, and value people more intentionally.

This episode is full of heart, humor, resilience, and leadership insight. If you are looking for inspiration, practical perspective, and a deeper look into the story behind Desi Payne’s message, this conversation will leave you energized and ready for part two.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Desi Payne’s personal journey from struggle to purpose

• Lessons on resilience, leadership, and workplace culture

• How burnout and hard seasons can shape your calling

• Why valuing people is the foundation of great leadership

• The story behind Desi’s mission to energize leaders and inspire teams

If you are a leader, speaker, entrepreneur, or professional who wants to build a more positive work culture and lead with greater impact, this episode is for you.

Connect with Desi Payne:

Motivational Speaker | Keynote Speaker | Workplace Culture Expert

https://www.desipayne.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/desipaynemotivationalspeaker

www.youtube.com/c/desipayne

Instagram: @Desi.Payne

Facebook: @DesiPayneMotivationalSpeaker

In this episode of The Energized Leader, Desi Payne sits down with Iowa real estate leader John Salvador to talk about leadership, workplace culture, motivation, team engagement, goal setting, and the power of leading by example. John shares how he built a high-performing real estate office in a small rural market, how incentives and team challenges drive sales success, and why trust, collaboration, communication, and community involvement matter so much in leadership.

They also discuss how leaders can stay energized during difficult seasons, how humor and laughter strengthen workplace culture, how to handle tough negotiations, and why the best leaders focus on serving others instead of themselves.

This episode is packed with practical leadership insights for business owners, entrepreneurs, sales leaders, managers, real estate professionals, and anyone who wants to create a more positive, motivated, and successful team.

If you want to learn how to inspire others, build a family-like culture, keep your spark alive, and lead with authenticity, this conversation is for you.

CONNECT WITH JON:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-salvador-8128469/

CONNECT WITH DESI:

https://www.desipayne.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/desipaynemotivationalspeaker

www.youtube.com/c/desipayne

Instagram: @Desi.Payne

Facebook: @DesiPayneMotivationalSpeaker

In this episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, Desi Payne sits down with productivity expert, author, and leadership strategist Jones Loflin to explore how leaders can stay focused, energized, and productive in a world full of distractions. Together, they unpack practical strategies for time management, intentional planning, prioritization, and cutting through the clutter that drains physical, mental, and emotional energy.

Jones shares powerful insights from his books, including Focused as a Bee, Juggling Elephants, and Always Growing, offering leaders actionable tools to improve focus, protect their energy, and align daily activities with meaningful outcomes. From calendar discipline and delegation to asking better questions and creating clarity for teams, this episode is packed with leadership development takeaways that can immediately improve workplace performance.

You will also hear a memorable discussion about humor in leadership, the value of sharing relatable stories, and how laughter helps create stronger relationships and a healthier workplace culture. Plus, Jones shares his unforgettable Krispy Kreme Challenge story and a personal recommendation for staying mentally sharp and emotionally strong.

If you are a leader who wants to improve productivity, manage distractions, strengthen workplace culture, and lead with more energy and intention, this episode is for you.

CONNECT WITH JONES:

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

https://jonesloflin.com/

CONNECT WITH DESI:

https://www.desipayne.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/desipaynemotivationalspeaker

www.youtube.com/c/desipayne

Instagram: @Desi.Payne

Facebook: @DesiPayneMotivationalSpeaker

What does it really mean to be an energized leader and how do you create everyday excellence without burning out? In this episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, Desi Payne interviews Dustin James, America’s Corporate Energizer, for a high-energy conversation packed with practical leadership and team culture strategies.

Dustin breaks down his Four E’s of Everyday Excellence: Experience, Energy, Emotion, and Education. You will learn how to use your personal work history to build trust and connection, why your “energy is two seconds ahead of you,” how to manage emotions during leadership gut punches, and how a simple daily reflection habit can accelerate growth and performance.

You will also hear actionable tools leaders can use immediately, including a staff meeting exercise to strengthen team connection, a doorway mindset shift to reset your presence, and a journaling method Dustin uses to continuously improve. If you lead people, serve customers, sell, speak, or simply want to show up stronger each day, this episode will help you elevate your leadership impact and create a more energized workplace culture.

Connect with DUSTIN:

https://www.momentsperformancegroup.com/

TEMI App: https://www.temi.com/confirmation

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

CONNECT WITH DESI:

https://www.desipayne.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/desipaynemotivationalspeaker

www.youtube.com/c/desipayne

Instagram: @Desi.Payne

Facebook: @DesiPayneMotivationalSpeaker

What if the fastest way to become a stronger leader is not doing more, but stepping away?

In this episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, host Desi Payne sits down with Linda Daugherty, Chief Operating Officer of the Academy of Hair Design in Springfield, Missouri, to talk about burnout recovery, leadership sabbaticals, and how to recharge your energy after tough seasons like COVID. Linda shares her real story of hitting a brick wall after years of carrying responsibility in both education and business, then becoming the first person at her company to take a 30 day sabbatical in New Zealand.

You will hear practical leadership strategies for preventing burnout, how to unplug without abandoning your team, and why slowing down can improve decision making, health, and workplace culture. Linda also explains how her organization builds an energized culture through core values you can feel: FUN, Excellence, Love, and Transformation. Plus, she shares how community service, like providing haircuts and wellness services at the Springfield Dream Center and Harmony House, boosts morale and reinforces purpose for employees.

If you are a leader, educator, or business owner feeling exhausted, this conversation will help you reset, reconnect to your purpose, and build a healthier, more energized workplace.

Connect with Linda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-daugherty-mba-a9456810b/

CONNECT WITH DESI:

https://www.desipayne.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/desipaynemotivationalspeaker

www.youtube.com/c/desipayne

Instagram: @Desi.Payne

Facebook: @DesiPayneMotivationalSpeaker

Recognition is not fluff. It is fuel for performance, retention, and workplace culture.

In this episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, Desi Payne interviews Dr. Bob Nelson, a world-renowned expert on employee recognition and appreciation and the bestselling author behind 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees. With 30 plus books to his name, Dr. Nelson shares practical, real-world strategies leaders can use to energize employees, boost engagement, and build a culture where people feel valued, respected, and motivated.

You will hear why positive reinforcement works, what gets in the way for busy managers, and how to recognize employees without spending money. Dr. Nelson shares powerful stories from organizations like the IRS and Disney, plus simple leadership habits like asking “Are you okay?” and inviting employees to share ideas that improve results. If you want to improve morale, reduce burnout, and create a workplace where people want to do their best work, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Dr. Bob Nelson:

www.drbobnelson.com

https://www.nelson-motivation.com/

CONNECT WITH DESI:

https://www.desipayne.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/desipaynemotivationalspeaker

www.youtube.com/c/desipayne

Instagram: @Desi.Payne

Facebook: @DesiPayneMotivationalSpeaker

Desi Payne is an international keynote speaker who helps overwhelmed employees overcome and prevent burnout—so they can experience renewed energy and motivation to work, boosted morale, happier employees, and a positive workplace culture.

With experience as a business owner, a 25-year hospital career, a family legacy of owning 35 restaurants, and the lived perspective of a breast cancer survivor, Desi knows resilience firsthand and delivers practical tools audiences can use immediately. She has inspired thousands of leaders and partnered with hundreds of organizations.

Desi is a regular guest on the lifestyle show Hello Iowa! and the host of The Energized Leader podcast, where she shares practical strategies to manage stress, boost energy, and lead with positivity—at work and in life. She is the author of Manage Stress Without Losing Your Mind, Give Me Some Chocolate...I’m Stressed!, and Do You Work with the Living Dead? and is a John Maxwell Leadership Trainer.

What does Olympic level resilience look like in real life leadership? In this episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, host Desi Payne sits down with Nikki Stone, Olympic gold medalist and motivational speaker, for a powerful conversation about mental toughness, resilience, and leading under pressure.

Nikki shares the moment 10 doctors told her she would never return to aerial skiing and how she rebuilt her body and mindset to come back and win Olympic gold. You will hear practical strategies leaders can use to stay focused in high pressure environments, including thought stopping, preparing for worst case conditions, and focusing on the next step instead of the applause.

You will also learn Nikki’s “turtle effect” for success, why clarity and trust create a positive workplace culture, and how energized leaders instill energy in others to drive performance. If you are leading a team, building culture, or pushing through obstacles, this episode will help you bounce back stronger and lead with confidence.

What does it take to build an award-winning workplace culture that earns Best Places to Work 2025 for the third year in a row?

In this episode of The Energized Leader Podcast, Desi Payne sits down with Richard Ollis, CEO of Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance & Business Advisors, an employee-owned company in Springfield, Missouri, known for exceptional culture, transparency, and people-first leadership.

Richard shares how he evolved from a “command and control” leadership style into service-oriented leadership, and why that shift transformed everything. You will learn the culture strategies that drive real engagement, including inclusive decision making, company-wide transparency, equity ownership, top-tier benefits, and how benchmarking helps organizations become an employer of choice.

You will also hear how Richard creates a standout employee experience through a purposeful onboarding process, including his “first hour, first day, first week” approach and why meeting new hires personally matters. Plus, Richard explains how humor, curiosity, routines during tough seasons, and personal development create momentum, retention, and team pride.

If you want practical leadership ideas to energize your team, strengthen culture, and build a workplace people truly love, this episode is packed with strategies you can use right now.

Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance & Business Advisors: https://ollisakersarney.com/

Richard Ollis LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-ollis-325a417/

CONNECT WITH DESI:

https://www.desipayne.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/desipaynemotivationalspeaker

www.youtube.com/c/desipayne

Instagram: @Desi.Payne

Facebook: @DesiPayneMotivationalSpeaker