Send us Fan Mail

What does it actually look like to live and lead in right relationship?

In this final episode of season 10, The UpLevel Podcast brings together two leaders who have been deeply embedded in this work, both in conversation and in real-time practice.

Over the past 15 months, we’ve explored right relationship across industries, identities, and lived experiences. It only felt right to close this chapter with Carlo Bos and Heather Davidson, whose partnership with UpLevel has become a living example of what right relationship can look like at scale.

Carlo is a leadership development expert, executive coach, and former co-CEO of the Co-Active Training Institute, and Heather Davidson is an innovative learning and development leader and strategic problem solver with nearly two decades of experience across Google, Amazon, and GE.

We’ll explore what it means to lead from self-acceptance and courageous conviction while remaining open enough to be shaped by others. We look at how co-creation, trust, and shared purpose become the foundation for effective leadership—and how presence, mindset, and nervous system regulation influence every interaction.

As we close this season on right relationship, this conversation becomes both a reflection and a bridge. A reflection of what we’ve been exploring together and a bridge into what’s next. Listen now!

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• What right relationship looks like in real leadership practice
• Self-acceptance, conviction, and adaptability in leadership
• Co-creation as a driver of performance and culture
• Designing relationships within complex organizations
• Leadership in the age of artificial intelligence
• The role of mindset, presence, and nervous system regulation
• Navigating power, hierarchy, and disagreement
• Building trust and alignment at scale
• Stewardship and thinking in generations, not just outcomes

Disclaimer: The views Heather Davidson shares in this conversation are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Google or any other current or former employer.

About Carlo:

Carlo Bos is a leadership development expert, executive coach, and former Co-CEO of the Co-Active Training Institute, where he led during a pivotal period of transformation from 2018 to 2023. Over the past 20 years, he has worked with executives across industries as an assessments expert, program designer, and master facilitator, building and scaling leadership programs that have reached thousands.

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

About Heather:
Heather Davidson is an innovative Learning and Development leader and strategic problem solver with nearly two decades of experience at Google, Amazon, and GE. She views leadership as the ultimate lever for business performance and specializes in translating complex strategy into behavioral change and measurable results.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-davidson-be-awesome/

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany

Send a text

How do we connect to our purpose and bring people and entire industries into right relationship for good?

This week on The UpLevel Podcast, we’re joined by Debbie Levin, CEO of the Environmental Media Association. Since taking over EMA in 2000, Debbie has helped transform the organization into a powerful force for change, harnessing the influence of media and entertainment to pioneer a high-impact model of environmental activism.

In this conversation, we explore how Debbie authentically embodies the voice of sustainable living, using storytelling and cultural influence to move awareness into action, and ultimately into real solutions.

We also reflect on how right relationship begins within ourselves, and how authenticity, presence, and community can help guide us through uncertain times.

This is a conversation about purpose, stewardship, courage, and the power of living in alignment with who you truly are.

In This Episode:

• How authenticity and genuine connection transform both business partnerships and personal relationships
• Explore how powerful bonds form when people come together around shared values and purpose
• Gain insights on protecting your well-being in an era of media overload, misinformation, and constant global tension
• How confidence and self-trust grow over time, and why letting go of people-pleasing can unlock true leadership
• Follow Debbie’s unexpected journey into the Environmental Media Association
• Learn how storytelling and celebrity influence can shift culture and bring sustainability into the mainstream
• Reflections on her Jewish heritage and the emotional complexity of navigating rising global tensions
• Reflections on heritage, resilience, and the responsibility to future generations

About Debbie:

Debbie Levin, CEO of EMA, has been singular in harnessing the power of the media and entertainment communities to pioneer a high-impact model of social activism since taking over the organization in 2000. Debbie has her pulse on the millennial generation and is known as the consummate connector within the global celebrity world, the corporate world, and the sustainability communities. She authentically embodies the iconic persona and voice, clearly embracing and educating the sustainable lifestyle. She utilizes storytelling and message development to drive awareness into action and solutions. Over her 26 years as CEO of EMA, she has expanded the organization to serve as a leading tool to connect industries, brands, influencers, and entrepreneurs in order to collaborate, advocate, and drive action, empowering individuals and the corporate world.

Website: https://www.green4ema.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-levin-656b892/

🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts

🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! https://podcast.feedspot.com/workplace_men

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany

Send us Fan Mail

What does “right relationship” actually look like over nearly 50 years of partnership?

This week on The UpLevel Podcast, join us for a deeply human and unexpectedly playful conversation as we sit down with Master Certified Coaches Cynthia and David Darst, senior faculty with the Co-Active Training Institute and CRR Global and life partners, to explore how right relationship is more than just a destination… it’s a living, evolving practice.

Cynthia also shares powerful insights from her book, Meet Your Inside Team, and explains how doing your internal work prevents you from projecting your fears and stories onto the people you love.

This episode is full of laughter, lived wisdom, humility, and the kind of insight that only comes from decades of choosing each other again and again.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• Why right relationship doesn’t mean harmony
• The importance of learning how to “fight clean”
• The power of taking your own side without attacking the other
• What it means to practice not knowing your partner
• How to recover when you miss each other
• Designing co-leadership consciously
• Staying in relationship even through the reality of death
• And why you’re never holding the relationship alone

About Team Darst:

Cynthia Loy Darst, MCC, and David Darst, MCC, are Team Darst.

With more than 50 years of combined coaching experience, Cynthia and David have traveled the world working with teams and training others in the skills that elevate coaching, leadership, and everyday life.

Both are senior faculty members with The Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) and with CRR Global (formerly The Center for Right Relationship).

Cynthia’s book, Meet Your Inside Team, has significantly influenced how they each work with individuals. The concepts they teach through both CTI and CRR are deeply integrated into their client work—as well as into their own partnership.

www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-loy-darst-teamdarst/

www.linkedin.com/in/david-darst-45149a309

🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts

🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! https://podcast.feedspot.com/workplace_mental_health_podcasts

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany

Send us Fan Mail

Every business transformation begins with human transformation.

This week on The UpLevel Podcast, join us for a powerful conversation as we welcome Jenna Paterson, Talent Development leader at Equinix, to explore what conscious leadership really looks like in practice, especially in an era defined by AI acceleration and rapid change.

From a childhood shaped by bullying and resilience to leading groundbreaking leadership programs at Equinix, Jenna shares how her origin story became the foundation of her leadership philosophy. She takes us inside Ground Break, a transformational leadership experience built on the truth that systems change only when people change.

If you care about building human-centered organizations, cultivating conscious leaders, and strengthening culture from the inside out, this episode is for you.

In This Episode:

• Why right relationship starts with self-leadership
• How defining moments shape leadership identity
• Why emotional intelligence remains essential in an AI-driven workplace
• The connection between nervous systems and organizational culture
• The paradox leaders must hold in complex times
• Why transformation efforts fail when they ignore the human system
• The powerful ROI of psychological safety and presence
• Three essential questions every leader must ask themselves

About Jenna:

Jenna is a dedicated Talent Development professional based in the UK, currently shaping leadership development and cultural transformation at Equinix. With a rich background in learning and leadership development; spanning roles in digital infrastructure and luxury retail sectors, she brings both breadth and depth to her craft.

As a certified emotional intelligence practitioner, strengths coach and experienced facilitator, Jenna blends evidence-based frameworks with an empathetic, human-centred approach. She’s passionate about crafting immersive learning experiences, and brings a thoughtful, systems-oriented approach to development.

Her passion lies in cultivating inclusive, psychologically safe environments where people can grow, reflect, and develop conscious leadership.

Jenna believes leadership starts with self-leadership. By staying curious, practicing empathy, and showing up authentically, she builds meaningful relationships that create trust and unlock growth; for herself and those around her.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenna-elizabeth-paterson-assoc-cipd-b1a78a54

🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts

🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! https://podcast.feedspot.com/workplace_mental_health_podcasts

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany

Send us Fan Mail

What if the future of work depends less on technology and more on how much humanity we choose to preserve?

This week on The UpLevel Podcast, we welcome Marshall Belcher, Principal Strategist and AI Innovation Lead for Strategic Customer Engagement at a global tech company, for a thoughtful and timely conversation on leadership, right relationship, and artificial intelligence.

Marshall works at the forefront of artificial intelligence, supporting executive strategy and CEO-level engagements across some of the most influential organizations in Silicon Valley. With more than 30 years of experience across companies like Cisco, AT&T, and Prudential, he brings rare depth at the intersection of technology, leadership, and relationship intelligence.

But what makes this conversation especially powerful is Marshall’s commitment to service, care, and responsibility.

We’ll explore what it means to be in right relationship with technology as AI reshapes how we work, lead, and connect. Marshall shares why AI must be designed and implemented through intentional alliances, ethical frameworks, and human-centered systems that prioritize safety, dignity, and trust.

As we continue our exploration of right relationship, Marshall reminds us that the question is not whether AI will shape our future but how intentionally and relationally we choose to shape AI.

Together, we explore:

• AI as a tool to elevate human potential rather than replace it
• The importance of training, governance, and culture when embedding AI into workplaces
• Why relationship intelligence matters just as much as technical intelligence
• Leadership approaches that preserve humanity in high-performance environments
• Why right relationship requires putting service before metrics
• Friendship and genuine connection as strengths in leadership
• The risks of measuring success through individual performance alone
• Why AI must be approached with discernment, training, and humility
• How emotional intelligence and right relationships are essential for AI safety and alignment
• What it means to design alliances with technology rather than emotional attachments

*Disclaimer: What’s discussed in this episode are Marshall’s personal views and in no way represent Alphabet, Google.

About Marshall:

Marshall Belcher is a Principal Strategist and AI Innovation Lead for Strategic Customer Engagement at Google Cloud, where he drives executive AI strategy and supports CEO-level engagements for Alphabet’s largest customers in Silicon Valley. He designs and delivers strategy sessions, consultative workshops, speaking engagements, and advanced AI demonstrations inside Google Cloud’s flagship executive environment.

He is a Wharton CTO Program graduate, holds a Master’s in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Full Sail University, and earned his B.S. in Microbiology & Cell Science from the University of Florida.

Driven by a belief in AI’s power to elevate human potential, Marshall is a lifelong learner who loves to run, eat well, and explore the world.

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

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany

Send us Fan Mail

What if the most meaningful measure of leadership success is not speed or scale, but the quality of our relationships?

In this episode of The UpLevel Podcast, we are joined by Chang Zhang and Chishan Lin, leadership coaches, facilitators, and co-creators of Coaching With Your Whole Body. Together, we explore the practice of right relationship as a foundation for leadership, partnership, coaching, and sustainable impact.

Grounded in embodiment, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and cross-cultural awareness, this conversation invites leaders to reconsider how presence, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness shape the way we work, relate, and lead. We explore what becomes possible when leadership is relational rather than positional and when success is measured by depth, steadiness, and connection.

This episode is part of The UpLevel Podcast’s ongoing Right Relationship series and reflects our growing engagement with leaders and organizations across the Asia Pacific region.

In this episode, we explore:

• What right relationship truly means and why it begins with self-awareness
• How nervous system regulation and mindfulness impact leadership and collaboration
• Why presence and relational depth may be a more meaningful measure of success than performance alone
• How to design conscious and healthy business partnerships rooted in trust and communication
• What leaders can learn about right relationship when working across cultures, particularly in Asia
• How introverts can honor their energy, boundaries, and strengths while leading effectively
• Why leadership is relational rather than positional, and how coaching skills support both

About Chang & Chishan:

Chang Zhang is a leadership coach, coaching supervisor, and faculty member with the Co-Active® Training Institute. Her work integrates embodiment, emotional intelligence, somatic awareness, and vertical development to help leaders and coaches navigate uncertainty with clarity, grounded presence, and courageous authenticity.

Known for her warmth, depth, and precision, Chang guides individuals and organizations in cultivating right relationship with self, others, and the systems they lead.

Website: https://www.introvertleaderawakening.com

Meet Chishan Lin; building on this shared commitment to embodiment and whole-person development, Chishan partners with Chang as co-creator and co-facilitator of the Coaching with Your Whole Body Retreats, bringing her global, artistic, and cross-cultural lens to the work.

Chishan is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and global facilitator with more than two decades of experience supporting leaders across the world. Having lived and worked in countries across many continents—including Taiwan, the U.S., India, Brazil, Myanmar, China, and Japan—she understands the real pressures, cultural complexities, and nuanced dynamics senior leaders face in global environments.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chishan-lin/

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany

Send us Fan Mail

Before you rush into a new year, pause. There is another way to begin.

As we step into a new calendar year, we continue to pull on the thread of Right Relationship because it still has so much to teach us. To help us cross this threshold with intention, curiosity, and care, the luminous Teagan West joins us in this week's episode of The UpLevel Podcast.

Teagan is a ritualist, astrologer, mentor, artist, and ancestral healing practitioner living on Haudenosaunee Land, home of the Seneca Nation. Her work lives at the intersection of ancestral reconnection, cultural repair, astrological storytelling, and community ritual. She reminds us that our relationship with the Earth, the sky, our ancestors, and one another is not symbolic. It is alive.

In this conversation, we explore how astrology can support us in becoming more right-sized within the greater ecosystem of life, especially as we enter a year marked by transition and possibility. May this conversation help you step into 2026 with clarity, courage, and care for all your relations.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it means to step out of hyper-individualism and into reciprocal relationships with nature, community, ancestors, and unseen forces
• Insights into the shift from Earth and Water elements toward Air and Fire, signaling movement, reimagining, and transformation.
• How to align personal and professional growth with natural rhythms instead of forcing progress according to cultural timelines
• Using astrology not as prediction, but as a tool for reflection, nervous system regulation, and asking better questions about how we live and lead
• From skepticism in New York’s fashion world to a vocation rooted in ancestral healing and astrological wisdom, Teagan shares how listening deeply changed her path
  
  

About Teagan:

Teagan West (she/they) is a Ritualist, Astrologer, Mentor, Artist & Ancestral Healing Practitioner from Haudenosaunee (HOH-den-uh-SHOW-nee) Land, home of the Seneca Nation. Her work exists at the intersection of Ancestral Reconnection, Cultural Repair, Astrological Storytelling, and Community Ritual. Teagan is passionate about recovering Animist ways of relating to Earth + Sky as a vital form of decolonial remembrance, reweaving our collective cosmologies through communal vision.

Teagan devotes much of her personal time to teaching, lineage stewardship + animist ceremony in her community. She creates ritual tools such as Drums, Rattles, and Ceramic Altar Vessels as a form of embodied Ancestral remembrance. She offers Astrological Readings, Mentorship, and guides Ancestral Lineage Healing in both 1:1 and group spaces. Her Substack is home to weekly readings, teachings + storytelling!

Website: thealtarhealing.com

Substack: Altar of Stars https://altarofstars.substack.com/

🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts

🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! htt

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany

Send us Fan Mail

This week on The UpLevel Podcast, we sit down with Holly Zabka, president of Provident Entertainment and one of the most heart-centered leaders shaping the music industry today. Holly carries a rare combination of strength, vulnerability, and grounded faith that shows us what leadership can look like when it grows from purpose instead of pressure.

From her childhood singing gospel harmonies with her family to stewarding more than 70 number one songs at Provident, Holly’s journey is rooted in grit, grace, and the courage to stay in right relationship with herself, with others, and with something greater.

This conversation invites you to lead with more heart, more honesty, and more humanity. May Holly’s wisdom meet you exactly where you are and remind you that you never have to lead alone.

In This Episode:

• Discover how isolation impacts female executives and why representation matters
• Learn about balancing conflict and resolution to foster authentic connections
• Embrace self-reflection to counter inner critics for healthier interactions
• Navigate dual roles as a leader and family member without compromising either
• See how faith anchors decisions, guiding values towards purpose-driven actions
• Understand why admitting mistakes fosters an accountable team culture
• Explore holistic engagement where personal life enriches professional efficacy
• The importance of recognizing inner voices and choosing which ones get the mic

About Holly:

Holly Zabka currently serves as President of Provident Entertainment. A 17-year veteran of Provident, Holly brings decades of experience in leadership roles across the music industry on both the publishing and creative sides of the business. Before assuming her role as President, she most recently served as Senior Vice President, Essential Music Publishing (EMP) and Head of Creative for Provident Label Group (PLG), where she was responsible for signing and partnering with top songwriters across the industry and oversaw creative endeavors and new content development.

In Holly’s Zabka's tenure, the company has had more than 70 No. 1 songs and has partnered with top artists and songwriters such as Jason Ingram, Ethan Hulse, Brandon Lake, Elevation Worship, Seph Schlueter, Zach Williams, CAIN, Ben Fuller, Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes, Jonathan Smith, Red Rocks Worship and more.

Holly grew up traveling and singing gospel music with her family. After graduating from Southwest Missouri State University, she moved to Nashville, where her first job in the music business was as Membership Director of the GMA. She began her career in publishing at Brentwood-Benson, representing the songs of her mom, Sue C. Smith, as well as Joel Lindsey, Tony Wood, Belinda Smith, Dave Clark, and others.

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

🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts

🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! https://podcast.feedspot.com/workplace_mental_health_podcast

www.uplevelproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/uplevelproductions/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uplevelproductionscompany
https://www.facebook.com/uplevelproductionscompany